Trapped in a Game: A Log Horizon Fanfic
by VZoomRocks128
Summary: After the Apocalypse, Yoko became trapped in a MMORPG Japanese server named Elder Tale. But she wasn't alone. With Shiroe, Naotsugu, Akatsuki, and others by her side, will she be able cope in the new world? WARNING: I DO NOT OWN LOG HORIZON AND THEIR CHARACTERS EXCEPT MY OCs. THANK YOU!
1. Chapter 1: Elder Tale?

Hey, it's VZoomRocks128! I'm new here, and this is my first fanfic in this website! Go easy on me, okay? :)

•••

Yoko

Race: Wolf Fang

Gender: Female

Hair Color: Silver

Eye Color: Bronze

Class: Monk

Class Level: 90

Weapon: Cestus Gloves

Subclass: Berserker

Subclass Level: 90

HP: 17563

MP: 5075

•••

*Midnight*

Shiroe was running from a pack of briar weasels. He selected a command. "Electrical Fuzz!" A ball of electricity shocked them. It revealed an area where briar weasels were dotted everywhere.

"I see them," Shiroe reported. "Confirming seven briar weasels!"

Naotsugu guarded himself with his shield. "Careful! To your right!"

Akatsuki flipped backwards on the treetops. "I know."

Yoko gestured the briar weasels to come to her. "C'mon, red-eyed rodents. You don't scare me at all." She tightened her fists and started sprinting at full speed while striking them several at a time.

On Naotsugu's side, two briar weasels unleashed lasers at him. His shield blocked all of them.

"Th-These things are tough..." Naotsugu managed to say. His commnad menu opened up. "I'll have to use a Shield Smash..." His options went out of control. "What the..."

"These controls suck!" he complained.

Shiroe arrived at the chipped, mossy, rocky bridge. "Naotsugu! Two from the left!"

Two briar weasels were on top of Naotsugu's shield. "Th-They stink...Get off of me!" He spun the other way to get rid of the briar weasels from his shield and got struck by a laser.

Shiroe pushed his glasses up. "It's hard to grasp a situation when the field of vision is reality. Akatsuki-san?"

"Same here, shukun." Akatsuki landed on her feet. "It's all I can do to hold them off."

"Yoko?"

Yoko squeezed her knuckles. "I can hardly get a good punch on one of them."

"Naotsugu! Akatsuki-san! Yoko! Fall back for now!" Shiroe instructed.

"Roger!" Naotsugu, Akatsuki, and Yoko replied. Shiroe opened up an option.

Akatsuki and Yoko met up with Naotsugu. "This isn't a game at all..." Naotsugu said.

"It isn't a game," Shiroe said. "This is..." The wind blew his cloak. "...our new reality."

"There are lots of them," Yoko said.

"They're coming..." Naotsugu murmured.

"Shukun!" Akatsuki exclaimed.

"Wait..." Shiroe said. "I'll use a Nightmare Sphere."

Suddenly, vines wrapped around him. It was...

"A triffid?" Shiroe said. "Oh, no...Where did it come from?"

"Shiro-san!" Yoko shouted.

"Shiro!" Naotsugu hollered.

"Shukun!" Akatsuki yelled.

Shiroe's life started depleting.

•••

*Morning*

Yoko opened her eyes. The ceiling above her was blue with floating cotton balls. She realized she was outside on a grassy terrain with ancient buildings surrounding it. She was confused.

"What the hell..." She studied herself. Instead of wearing pajamas; she was wearing a white sleeveless white turtleneck under a small armor made out of gray cloth, black tights, combat boots, a pair of cestus gloves, and bandages wrapped around her arms. A wolf tail appeared behind her and she felt her wolf ears sticking out of her head. She panicked.

"Weird...This is just like Elder Tale," she said. A menu popped up in front of her.

"Whoa..." In the corner of her eye, she saw the option: Log Out. She pressed it, but it wouldn't let her. She raised an eyebrow.

"Dammit." She pressed it several times, and it still didn't work. She heard a ring inside her ears. She flinched. A box popped up. It was Shiroe.

"Shiro-san is here, too?" She accepted the voice chat.

"Yoko?" It was Shiroe, the veteran player she met two years ago. Yoko was very excited to hear him again.

"Shiro-san? Is it really you?" she gasped. "I thought I was the only one. I wish I could find you."

"Try to get out where you are," Shiroe told her.

"See you." She walked right. She saw a figure sitting on a rock.

"Yoko?" The figure stood up.

"Shiro-san?" Yoko crashed into him. "Yay! I found you!"

Shiroe tapped her back. "I can't breathe."

"Whoops." She pulled Shiroe up. "What's up? Did you contact anyone else?"

Shiroe nodded. "One of my friends, Naotsugu. He's nearby. Let's go." He started running down the hill.

"Oi! I just got here! Can we take a break after?" Yoko groaned and trudged along the way.

"Naotsugu!" Shiroe headed to a colossal tree surrounded by ancient stuff and a lake. Someone with metal armor waved a hand.

"Oi, Shiro!"

"Naotsugu..." Shiro said.

"Hmm? What?" Naotsugu asked.

"Oh, it's just, you look the way I pictured you..."

Naotsugu crossed his arms. "So do you. An intelligent man, with glasses and nasty, beady eyes."

Shiroe checked his reflection on the lake. "My race is supposed to be Half-Alv..."

Yoko put her hands on her knees. "Made it."

"Shiro, who is she?" Naotsugu pointed to her.

"This is Yoko," Shiroe said. "She was a beginner when I first met her. Yoko, this is Naotsugu. He is one of my good friends."

"Hi," Yoko said.

Naotsugu placed a hand behind his head. "So, I log in for the first time in two years...And what the hell's going on? Tell me anything you know, nasty-glasses."

"I don't know, either." Shiroe turned his head.

"Fine. What about you?" Naotsugu stared at Nariko.

"Does it look like I know?" Yoko said.

"Sorry, kid."

"But..." Shiroe began. "It appears we're in the world of Elder Tale."

"I knew it," Yoko muttered.

"Wasn't today the day they planned to add the new expansion?" Shiroe questioned Naotsugu.

"Yeah, The Novasphere Pioneers," Naotsugu answered.

"Until the second they executed the update, I can remember everything." Shiroe looked up at the tree. "And the next I knew, I was here."

"Same with me," Naotsugu said.

Yoko only nodded.

"This is definitely Akihabara," Naotsugu said. "I've seen it hundreds of times in the game."

"But..." Shiroe said.

"The sky stretches so much further."

"Yeah."

_Was I the only one who didn't notice it?_ Yoko bit her thumb.

Shiroe bent over to touch the mossy rock. "And it feels like I'm really touching it."

"Which means..." Naotsugu started.

"I guess this isn't a dream."

Yoko felt sick inside.

"Then we're in the game, huh?" Naotsugu said. "I thought that only happened in fantasy novels." He became serious. "You think we can get home?"

"I don't know," Shiroe replied. "How did we get here, in the first place?"

"Yeah."

"I know...We may not be able to return quickly." Shiroe pushed his glasses into place. "Which means..."

Naotsugu and Yoko smiled.

"We should be ready," Shiroe told them.

"What do we do?" Naotsugu asked.

"Let's gather information. We have to know more about this world."

"That's true." Naotsugu stood up. "Good to see you as calm and analytical as ever." He picked up his equipment. "I'm counting on you, Strategist."

"Calm isn't the word I'd choose," Shiroe said.

"That's true," Yoko finally spoke. "You're not that calm." She and Shiroe followed Naotsugu.

"I know this isn't what you expected," Shiroe said, "but welcome back to Elder Tale." He and Naotsugu touched fists.

"Yeah!"

Yoko's legs wobbled. "I don't think I can walk for a while."

"Here." Naotsugu squatted down. "Get on my shoulders."

"O-Okay." Yoko sat on his shoulders. Her height lifted up.

"You all right there?" Shiroe asked. Yoko closed her eyes, feeling the wind blowing against her skin.

"I'm fine," she said. "Let's go."

•••

"But it looks like we can't log out..." Naotsugu said, disappointed.

"I checked, too," Shiroe told him. "What about you, Yoko?"

"I checked when I got here," Yoko said. "Truth is, I was very pissed about it. Thank you for the ride, Naotsugu-san." She dismounted off of him. She, Shiroe, and Naotsugu saw the outside zone.

"Want to have a look at the outside zone?" Naotsugu inquired.

"No," Shiroe replied, "not yet." He walked to another direction.

"Right."

"I'm sure monsters are out there!" one person blurted out.

"No way!" the second person cried.

"You go check it out!" a third person exclaimed.

"Hell, no...You go," a fourth person uttered.

"What's going to happen to us?" a fifth person shouted.

"Shut up!" a sixth person spat.

"Help me!" a seventh person fretted. "Someone, help me!"

A flock of birds soared through the sky. Yoko sulked.

"If you're back in the game, your work must have calmed down," Shiroe said.

"Yeah," Naotsugu said. "What really sucks is there aren't any cute girls at work."

"Wait...Are you..." Yoko knitted her eyebrows together. She shook her head.

"Who cares?" Shiroe said, annoyed.

"What was that?" Naotsugu said. "You're just a closet pervert!"

_I knew it!_ Yoko's jaw opened very wide.

"I'm not a closet anything!" Shiroe objected.

Yoko noticed a rock bounce off. She shrugged.

Naotsugu held out two fingers. "There are two types of men in this world. Open perverts who admit it, and closet perverts who won't. I am the former! And I love panties!"

Birds flew out of a building. Yoko stared blankly at him.

"You are the latter." Naotsugu pointed at Shiroe.

"Yeah, yeah," Shiroe replied lamely.

"And I know you love them, too!" Naotsugu turned to Yoko. "Hey, I know we just met, but I think you're hot. Can I-"

Yoko punched him on the face. "Don't think about it."

Shiroe tripped.

"What's wrong?" Naotsugu asked.

Shiroe rose up with the support of his staff. "How tall are you, Naotsugu-san? In real life."

"183 cm (6 ft), just like in Elder Tale." Another rock fell. Naotsugu looked the other way,

"What about you, Yoko? It seems you grew a lot since the last time I saw you."

"Um, I'm 160 cm (5 ft 3 in) in here," Yoko answered. "I'm taller than my character in real life."

"My character is taller than I really am. So this body doesn't feel quite right..."

A third rock fell.

"That's what you get for showing off," Naotsugu said. "Anyway..."

"To some degree, your game character reflects your real self," Shiroe said, his glasses gleaming.

A boulder jumped in the swamp. Yoko hid behind Shiroe.

"What are you doing?" Naotsugu complained. "That's dangerous!" He pointed up.

"You're..." Shiroe said. "Akatsuki-san!"

"Akatsuki-san?" Yoko sounded out.

"What? You know him?" Naotsugu questioned.

"We're in a party together," Shiroe spoke. "Not much of a talker, but a good assassin."

•••

Shiroe, Naotsugu, and Yoko entered the ancient building where Naotsugu first found Akatsuki. Akatsuki was near a table.

"So you're also here, Akatsuki-san," Shiroe said.

"I'm Naotsugu, a guardian," Naotsugu said. "Whether you're an open pervert or not, let's get along."

"You say that to someone you just met?" Shiroe asked, looking uneasy.

"Yup!" Naotsugu gripped on Yoko's shoulders. "Oh! This is Yoko! She's a...uh...what are you?"

"I'm a Wolf Fang monk who can kick your ass," Yoko hissed at him. Her eyes shone golden.

"Whoa, take it easy. I'm not gonna say anything offensive."

"Shiroe-dono, I've been looking for you."

Yoko's ears shot up. "Did I just hear a _girl _say that?" She turned to Akatsuki. "No way..."

"I want you to sell me a potion..." Akatsuki removed "his" mask. "An appearance-changing potion."

"That voice..." Naotsugu flinched.

"A-Akatsuki-san," Shiroe stammered, "you're a girl?"

Akatsuki's cheeks shaded pink.

"No wonder why you never spoke much," Shiroe concluded.

•••

"Appearance-changing potions..." Naotsugu began. "Those are rare. They only distributed them once."

"That sucks," Yoko said. "I wish they could make more."

"I remember Shiroe-dono had one," Akatsuki said. Naotsugu was tiptoeing to see Akatsuki change her appearance, but Shiroe and Yoko stopped him just in time.

"L-Let me go..."Naotsugu choked.

"I thought you wouldn't use voice chat because you were playing as an assassin," Shiroe said.

A bright light exploded inside Akatsuki. Yoko brought her arm over her eyes.

"Are you okay?" Shiroe asked. After a few seconds, they became speechless.

Akatsuki's howling ended shortly.

•••

"It's all right now." A tiny girl with long, purple hair and purple eyes with a sword by her side appeared. Yoko fainted.

"She's hot!" Naotsugu gasped. "The real deal!"

"Do you say that to every girl you meet?" Yoko suddenly shot up.

"Yup!"

"You saved me," Akatsuki said. "I really appreciate it."

"I-It's fine..." Shiroe stuttered.

•••

"I retract my earlier statement," Naotsugu said. "You can't be either an open pervert or a closet one, because..." He tightened his fist. "You aren't a man!"

"Do you have to talk about this now?!" Yoko screamed at him.

"Shiroe-dono, is there something wrong with him?" Akatsuki was stretching her back.

"There are many things wrong with him," Shiroe replied.

"Ooh, you just got burned," Yoko smirked.

"Why is that?" Naotsugu complained.

"In any case, he's messed up." Akatsuki was stretching her arm.

"So, Akatsuki-san," Shiroe said, "did you adjust your character to be closer to your real size?"

"Yes," Akatsuki said shortly.

"You should have done that in the first place," Naotsugu said.

"Games are fun because you can do things you couldn't in real life, right?" Akatsuki was stretching her front side. "But once I was stuck here, it was very inconvenient."

"Inconvenient?" Naotsugu repeated. "Ah! You mean like the bathroom!"

Akatsuki and Yoko kneed his face.

"Shiroe-dono, is it all right if I knee this strange man in the face?" Akatsuki pointed to Naotsugu.

"Say yes!" Yoko sobbed.

"Ask _before _you do it, shrimp!" Naotsugu scolded Akatsuki.

"Don't call me a shrimp!" Akatsuki argued. She turned to Shiroe. "Anyway, how much do I owe you?"

Shiroe raised a hand. "Oh, don't worry about it."

"I can't do that," Akatsuki said. "I don't want anyone saying I wouldn't repay a favor."

"She's right, you know," Yoko agreed.

"But..." Shiroe said.

Naotsugu intruded the awkwardness. "If it's that a big deal, you can..."

Akatsuki and Yoko sent him spinning.

"Shiroe-dono, is it all right if I knee this strange man in the face?" Akatsuki pointed to Naotsugu again.

"Say yes!" Yoko sobbed again.

"Ask _before _you do iti!" Naotsugu scolded Akatsuki again. "And I didn't even finish!"

"Who cares?" Yoko said.

Akatsuki crossed her arms. "You were about to say something bad."

Naotsugu's expression turned into a joking one. "I was, but..."

The randomness ended.

"Anyhow, why don't you stay with us for a while?" Naotsugu offered.

"Yeah! We could have so much fun hitting Naotsugu-san whenever he's about to say something perverted!" Yoko said happily.

"Oi! Not fun for me, kid!" He looked at Shiroe. "Strategist! Explain." He winked at him.

Shiroe pushed his glasses into place for a while. "Akatsuki-san...Didn't you refuse to join a guild?"

"Assassins are lone wolves," Akatsuki said.

"We aren't in one, either. But right now, I think it's better to stay in a group than go alone."

"Are you all right with that, Shiroe-dono?"

"I am!" Yoko raised her hand.

Shiroe smiled. "We'd be happy to have you."

Akatsuki's cheeks turned pink. "I see..." She knelt on her knees. "Then, as a ninja, I shall revere you as my lord."

"Ninja? Lord?"

"Wasn't she an assassin?" Naotsugu and Yoko reminded him.

"You have saved me from a dire fate of being transformed into a man," Akatsuki continued. "Thus, I must work to repay you. This is what requiting a debt means."

"I don't get what any of this means," Yoko whispered.

"From now on, as your ninja, I shall protect you," Akatsuki finished her speech.

"Well, um...Thanks," Shiroe said nervously.

"Then we're a team!" Naotsugu declared.

"Yay!" Yoko cheered.

•••

Shiroe and the others bought food from NPC shops and set up a picnic outside town. They tasted the food, and it tasted bland.

"What is this?" Naotsugu said weakly.

"They all taste the same," Shiroe said.

"This..." Akatsuki chewed on a kabab.

"It feels like a soggy cracker, without salt," Naotsugu gnawed on a burger.

"And all the drinks taste like water," Shiroe said.

Yoko set her food on the table. "I lost my appetite."

"What's up?" Naotsugu said with his mouth full.

"Someone's calling me," Shiroe reported.

•••

"From Marielle-san?" Naotsugu said.

"Yeah, she leads the guild known as the Crescent Moon Alliance," Shiroe said.

"It's weird how the guild building is nothing but doors, though."

"Each Guild Hall is its own zone."

"Only the really weird stuff is still like a game."

Yoko snorted. "Like you?"

"Watch it, kid!" Naotsugu shook her violently.

"You're making me dizzy..."

"You two, stop." Shiroe opened the door. The room has pink striped walls, a table with stuff animals, and a picture of a dog.

"How cute," Akatsuki and Yoko commented.

"This is the guild master's room?" Naotsugu said.

"Shiro-bo!"

"Marie-nee!" Shiroe got flattened by a blond woman.

_This is Marielle-san? _Yoko thought. _You've got to be kidding me._

"Are you okay? You must be hungry!" Marielle rubbed her face against Shiroe. "Eat something...Not that it has any flavor!"

"Calm down, Marie-nee..." Shiroe pleaded.

_Shiro-san __looked like he got hit by a train, _Yoko thought.

"What's this?" Marielle had a kind expression on her face. This made Akatsuki nervous. Marielle hugged her.

"Do you have a girlfriend now, Shiro-bo?" She rubbed her face against Akatsuki.

"No!" Shiroe denied immediately.

"You're so adorable!" Marielle stroked Akatsuki's hair. "Want a lollipop?" She saw Yoko standing beside her. "Another adorable one! What's your name?"

"Y-Yoko," Yoko gulped. Marielle hugged her, too.

"This is your girlfriend, right?" she rubbed her face against Yoko.

"No!" Shiroe denied again.

"Shiro, where were you hiding this hot chick?" Naotsugu whispered to Shiroe.

"I haven't been hiding her," Shiroe sighed.

"Who's this?" Marielle flapped her hand.

Naotsugu did an impression pose. "Naotsugu! Nice to meet you!"

Marielle crushed him to the wall.

"Naotsugu, huh?" she rubbed her face against him.

"Wha-Wha-" Naotsugu can hardly say anything.

"You're pretty buff!" Marielle patted his armor. "You play sports?"

"No, um...I mean, this is armor."

Marielle was choking Naotsugu.

"What is her problem?" Naotsugu tried to get Marielle to stop. "She's scaring me."

"Marie, stop it," an orange-haired lady said.

Naotsugu gasped. "Another one! Hot girls everywhere!"

"Henrietta-san!" Shiroe said.

_Finally, someone who looks serious_, Yoko thought.

"Oh, dear..." Henrietta touched her glasses. "I apologize for summoning you here, Shiroe-sama. Given what's happening, I'd like to exchange information..." She dropped her papers when she saw Akatsuki and Yoko.

"They're so cute!"

_Uh-oh__. _Yoko bit her tongue.

And the chase began.

Yoko sprinted in a circle as fast as she can. "Stop chasing me! Whoa, Naotsugu-san. No, no, no, no!"

Naotsugu's arm smacked her outside. Blood streamed from her nose.

"What was that supposed to mean?" she snarled, pinching her nose.

"Sorry! I tried not to hit someone in the face while being chased by someone you just met," Naotsugu hollered.

"What's coming towards my face?"

A shield whacked Yoko on the face. Her nose bled again.

"S-Seriously?" she rasped.

"Sorry!" Naotsugu yelled.

•••

"Then what about the Crescent Moon Alliance members?" Shiroe interrogated. The Elf druid, Liliana, had finished serving tea.

"Including myself, nineteen are online," Marielle responded. "Eighteen are in Akihabara."

"Eighteen of nineteen?"

_One of them must be somewhere else, _Yoko thought.

"I'm told that, along with Akihabara, the other four major cities on the Japanese server, Shibuya, Minami, Susukino, and Nakasu are all in the same shape," the Wolf Fang swashbuckler, Shoryu, explained. "And the inter-city transport gates are offline. In other words, teleporting elsewhere is impossible."

"So you have to use other sorts of transportation, like animals," Yoko clarified.

"Yeah."

"The Akihabara adventurers are all meeting with their guilds, just like we are," Henrietta said. "Some guilds are also looking to recruit."

"At a time like this, the more people on your side, the better," Marielle said.

"But even if this isn't our world," Naotsugu said, "we're all very familiar with Elder Tale."

"Not necessarily," Shiroe said.

"Hm? What you mean about that, Shiro-san?" Yoko asked.

"You remember the new expansion, right? The Novasphere Pioneers."

"Were you and Naotsugu-san talking about that when we met Naotsugu-san at that big tree?"

"Yeah. I get it. If they've added that new expansion, then monsters, items, and quests may all be different. This world may not be the Elder Tale we know."

Everyone was silent for a while.

"H-Hey, Shiro-bo." Marielle became hesitant. "I know you aren't a big fan of guilds." She hesitated again. "But...Would you like to join ours?"

"Marie?" Henrietta said.

"Debauchery Tea Party is gone, right? And right now..."

"Gomen, Marie-nee," Shiroe declined. "But I can't yet." He and the others started to leave Marielle's office. The Fox Tail girl, Ashlynn, hugged Yoko's leg.

"Oh, you're that little girl..." Yoko lowered to Ashlynn's height. "What's up?"

"You're leaving already." Ashlynn was tugging her pants.

"She begged me to bring here to say good-bye to you," the Fox Tail assassin, Hien, told Yoko. Yoko patted Ashlynn's head.

"Sorry, my leader is not ready to join guilds. So are we." She turned around. "I'll be back, okay?" She caught up with the others and headed outside of the Guild Building."

•••

"That's a great guild master," Naotsugu commented.

"Even though she nearly choked to death?" Yoko said.

"It's all she can do to stay under control, but she's still acting so friendly."

"True."

•••

"How long are we going to be stuck here?" someone said faintly.

"How long will they just sit around there?" Naotsugu asked.

Shiroe didn't say anything.

"Die and you can escape. In stories like this, that's pretty common."

"Back to your fantasy stories again?" Yoko said.

"It may be true. Don't judge me."

"And sometimes, if you die in the game, you die in real life," Shiroe said.

"When it was a game, you'd revive at the Cathedral," Akatsuki said.

"But we can't very well experiment," Naotsugu said. "But even if you do revive, what about your penalty?"

Shiroe didn't answer.

"What's wrong, shukun?" Akatsuki said.

Shiroe pushed his glasses into place. "Let's try it."

•••

*Night*

"The Archive Tower Forests?" Naotsugu said.

"We're level 90," Shiroe reminded him. "That's the level cap. Normally, low-level monsters would just ignore us. But in this area, the monsters will go aggro on sight."

"So it's the perfect place to try it, shukun," Akatsuki said.

"What do you mean 'perfect'?" Yoko said. "This place is hella scary!"

"Oh! You can't use your mini-map in the outside zones," Naotsugu reminded them.

"That sucks," Yoko muttered.

Red-eyed monsters with vines coiled around their tails landed on the battlefield. Yoko jumped.

"Briar weasels," Akatsuki said.

"Level 28..." Shiroe said.

Naotsugu pulled out his sword. "These guys are nothing!" His menu popped up, and when the briar weasels got close to him, it got out of control.

"Naotsugu..." Shiroe said.

"It's hard to enter commands while monsters are running at you!" Naotsugu said.

Shiroe fixed his glasses into place. "Get into formation, as discussed!"

•••

"This won't be easy," Naotsugu said.

Yoko collapsed on the ground due to heavy exhaustion. A triffid threw Shiroe into a wall. Shiroe saw Akatsuki slice the triffid in half. The triffid exploded, and spilled items and gold.

"Akatsuki-san?" he asked. "How did you do that?"

"I don't know..." Akatsuki answered honestly. "My body just moved on its own."

Shiroe pushed his glasses into place. "Naotsugu! Yoko! Don't use your commands! Try to use your body to feel the motion."

"What are you talking about?" Naotsugu said.

"Just do it!"

"I don't get it, but fine..." Naotsugu scratched his head. "Kid, you take the ones on the left and I take the ones on the right?"

Yoko shrugged. "Whatever." They sprang into action.

"Shield Swing!" Naotsugu swung his shield.

"Aura Saber!" Yoko raised her leg. At the same time, she and Naotsugu defeated the briar weasels on each side.

"Shukun, this is..." Akatsuki couldn't end her sentence properly.

"Elder Tale," Shiroe completed the sentence for her.

"Oi!" Yoko called from the lower level. "Aren't we going to finish this?"

Shiroe nodded. "Let's finish this." His staff glowed. "Nightmare Sphere!"

"Cross Slash!" Naotsugu slashed through briar weasels.

"Tiger Echo Fist!" Yoko threw a big punch at a combination of briar weasels and triffids.

"Assassinate!" Akatsuki sliced through a triffid.

Finally, the monsters disappeared.

"Yeah! Victory!" Naotsugu and Yoko raised their fists in the air.


	2. Chapter 2: PKing

Chieri (Keeh-ree)

Race: Half-Alv

Gender: Female

Hair Color: Red

Eye Color: Hazel

Class: Druid

Class Level: 90

Weapon: Mace

Subclass: Swordsmith

Subclass Level: 90

HP: 13759

MP: 13865

•••

A man died while fighting monsters and was revived at the Cathedral. Many bystanders were shocked. Shiroe and the others were watching from an ancient building.

"You're right," Yoko said to Shiroe. "If we die, we get revived, just like the game."

•••

A triffid spat a purple, gooey blast at Naotsugu, which made him stumble on Yoko.

"Get off!" Yoko kicked his chest.

"Hey, I almost got hit by this thing." Naotsugu swung his sword around.

Shiroe waved his two fingers side-to-side. "Astral Bind!" His spell trapped the triffid's head. Akatsuki sliced it as her finishing attack.

"And we're done." Naotsugu covered himself with his shield.

"Let's call it quits for today," Shiroe said.

Akatsuki appeared. "Understood."

"All right!" Yoko sat down on a rock. "We're going to the forest after?"

"We're going to wait until night," Shiroe informed her.

"Good." Yoko started yawning. "Wake me up when we're going to leave."

•••

*Night*

Shiroe and the others entered the forest. Yoko was blew her bangs away from her eyes.

"My lord Shiro," Akatsuki said.

"Akatsuki-san, would you stop calling me that?" Shiroe said. "Just call me Shiroe."

"Then I hope you'll treat me with the same familiarity."

The two of them shared a silent moment.

"You two sure are enjoying the height of youth!" Naotsugu intruded their moment again.

"What're you talking about?" Shiroe said irritably.

Yoko raised her fist. "Can I punch him, Shiro-san?"

•••

"Shukun," Akatsuki said.

Shiroe faced her. Naotsugu grinned.

"I'll go ahead, to reconnoiter on our way home."

"Why?" Shiroe asked.

"Practice. One of the assassin's skills is Dark Vision. And I also have Sneak and Silent Move. This forest is the perfect place to practice."

"I see. Okay, we'll meet by the south gate. We'll stay illuminated using Magic Light as we go. You can use that to find us."

"Understood." Akatsuki disappeared.

"Whoa, she disappeared!" Yoko said. "What kind of subclass does she have?"

"Then Akatsuki's subclass is tracker?" Naotsugu said.

Yoko snapped her fingers. "That's what it is."

"I couldn't even hear the leaves rustle," Shiroe observed. "She's good."

"She's _really _good," Yoko added.

"Magic Light." Shiroe's rod formed a ball of light. "Let's go." They walked deep into the forest.

"An assassin and a tracker, huh?" Naotsugu said. "No wonder she calls herself a ninja."

"She's a hardcore role-player," Shiroe said. "Yoko is also one, too."

Yoko's ears twitched. "No, I'm not! Remember a few years back? When my subclass activated, it was a mess! I almost died!"

"At least you didn't die. Your combination is excellent. You have high evasion and brute strength."

"Arigato..."

"Come to think of it, how many days have we been here?" Naotsugu asked.

•••

"Security in town is getting really bad," Henrietta said. She was happily brushing Akatsuki's hair.

"Yes," Shiroe said.

"The rush to buy guild halls has calmed, and I suppose the balance of power in the city has been more or less established."

"Uh, Henrietta-san," the Half-Alv druid, Chieri, said. "This is a bad issue, and you sound happy."

"I didn't mean to sound that way! Right, Akatsuki-chan?"

Akatsuki just groaned.

"Adventurers in the larger guilds wield their influence freely, and somehow, the smaller guilds have become even smaller," Shoryu said.

"They act like anyone not in their own guild is an enemy," Hien said.

"But there's no fighting in towns, right?" Naotsugu asked.

"Yeah, just like the game," Chieri replied. "But we're not sure about this time since the new expansion."

"I'm told there's a lot of low-level fighting and harassment that doesn't quite count as combat," Hien continued.

"In the past few days, PKs have been rapidly increased," the Half-Alv sorcerer, Eisel, said.

"PKs?" Naotsugu gritted his teeth.

"Player killings. Or player killers."

Yoko hid behind Naotsugu.

"They attack players, rather than monsters, and then steal items and money," Henrietta said. "It's the worst thing you could do."

"Outside of town, you can't use your mini-map, and you can't contact the Game Masters," Hien said.

"Which _sucks,_" Chieri coughed.

Hien shot a look at her.

"What?" Chieri said.

"And surprise attacks are far more effective," Eisel said. "It's much less risky now. The pros and cons reversed positions. That must be why it's more common now."

"How cowardly," Akatsuki said.

"If Akihabara keeps getting worse," Shoryu said.

Marielle and Shiroe faced each other.

"Is something wrong?" Shiroe asked Marielle.

Marielle's elf ears showed up. "What? Ah, it's nothing. What a problem! Don't you agree, Naotsugu?" She hugged Naotsugu's arm.

"Hey! Get off me!" Naotsugu shook his arm in a rowdy way. After Henrietta watched them, she gasped.

"I was just so taken by Akatsuki-chan's cuteness, I forgot to breathe!" She happily felt Akatsuki's face.

"Not again." Chieri shook her head.

Yoko headed for the door. Shiroe looked at her.

"Yoko?" he said.

"Can you please leave me alone for now?" Yoko entered the Guild Building and sat near the wall.

_I don't want to be invovled in this_, Yoko told herself silently. _I don't want to be invovled in this. _She pulled her knees close and cried on them.

"Hey, Chieri-senpai. Can I-" Probably Hien.

"You stupid fox!" It was Shoryu. "I told you not to shout so you wouldn't get her attention!"

"Do I have to smack you guys with my mace?" It was Chieri.

"No!" Hien and Shoryu squeaked. Yoko watched them walk straight. When they saw her, their ears shot up. Chieri lifted her eyebrows.

"What are you two scared of?" She caught a clear figure of Yoko. Her mouth formed an oval.

"We didn't mean to-" Shoryu blabbered.

"It's fine." Yoko wiped tears off her face. She cried again. Eisel came in.

_Shit! I'm crying in front of Crescent Moon Alliance's top leaders!_ Yoko thought. "Leave. I'm having an emotional moment."

Shoryu, Hien, Chieri, and Eisel exchanged glances. Hien stepped forward.

"I'll take care of her," he said.

Shoryu didn't have time to argue with him. Instead, he nodded. "We'll leave you alone." He, Chieri, and Eisel didn't actually leave. They peeked from a wall.

"Really, eavesdropping on them?" Chieri said.

"I don't know if Hien can really take care of a crying girl," Shoryu said.

"C'mere." Hien pulled Yoko into a hug. Yoko cried over his shoulder.

"What's wrong?" Hien patted her back.

"I'm a coward," Yoko hiccuped.

"Is it about PKing?"

Yoko cried even harder.

"I didn't mean-"

"It's okay. It's just me." Yoko mopped off tears from her face.

"You sure?" Hien patted her head. Yoko let out a short laugh.

"Take it easy. Okay?"

•••

_That's weird, _Yoko thought. _Hien sounded like my brother._

"What's wrong, Shiro?" Naotsugu asked.

"Nothing," Shiro answered.

"I don't think you need to feel so bound by duty all the time," Naotsugu said. "I mean, there's no need to hold back!"

"What do you mean?"

Naotsugu spotted Akatsuki on the south gate. "Hey, shrimp!"

"Don't call me a shrimp!" Akatsuki retorted.

"See any gobs?"

"I like the one with the skull on his head. It's weird and cute."

"Seriously?"

"Wow, that's really off-topic," Yoko said.

•••

Shiroe and the others (excluding Akatsuki; she's somewhere else) arrived at the Loka Hospital. They caught a shadow jump.

"I sense something..." Naotsugu said. "Is it human? Which means..."

Yoko widened her eyes. "PKs."

Chains trapped Naotsugu's feet. Luckily, Shiroe's spell broke them.

"Thanks!" Naotsugu said. "You're always so quick with support. Well, what do we do, Strategist?"

"Naotsugu, Yoko, straight line formation," Shiroe instructed. "Our enemies are PKs. I have visual contact of four. I'll determine their location." His staff formed a ball of light. "There! Mind Bolt!" A long zap zoomed through the path. The four PKs were now visible. "I see them."

_Two swashbucklers, a Wolf Fang and an Elf, and two Humans, a druid and a samurai, _Yoko recorded the information inside her head.

"Enemy sighted," Naotsugu said. "They have guts turning to PKing. They miss their mommies so much, they turned into animals?"

"Leave everything you're carrying, and we won't kill you," the Wolf Fang swashbuckler, Smash, said.

_Like hell you will. _Yoko cracked her knuckles.

"If they're talking like that, they've read too much manga," Shiroe said. "What do we do?"

"Crush them!" Naotsugu declared. "These guys attack people for fun! Obviously, if someone else kills them, they can't complain!"

"I'm willing to give them the money," Shiroe said.

"What the _hell _are you thinking?" Yoko hissed. "These guys are going to kill us!"

"That is, if they can beat us."

"Well said, Shiro!" Naotsugu said.

Yoko's lips spread wide. "Now I know what you're talking about."

"You little-" Smash and his party readied their weapons.

"First target, the one in front, on the right. Draw the other's attention, too!" Shiroe commanded.

"Roger!" Naotsugu and Yoko charged at the PKs. Naotsugu raised his shield and Smash's party attacked it.

"Leave the fighter and the little girl to me!" Smash ordered to the Elf swashbuckler, Rikopin. "You take the mage!"

"Did you just call me a little girl?" Yoko shouted to Smash.

"Roger!" Rikopin ran to Shiroe.

"Astral Bind." Shiroe's vines wrapped around her feet.

"I'll take the mage. You get the warrior and the little boxer!" Smash ordered Rikopin.

"Really? Is that all you got?" Yoko snarled at him.

"Got it," Rikopin said.

"Anchor Howl!" Naotsugu raised his sword. A green light affected Smash and his party.

"What?" Smash turned to him. "You..."

The green light disappeared.

"Fine..." Smash and his party charged after Naotsugu. "We'll take him first!"

"You won't break through my armor!" Naotsugu attacked them and shielded himself.

"Shiro-san!" Yoko hollered. "Do something!"

"Electrical Fuzz!" Shiroe zapped the Human samurai, Katsuomaru. He didn't seem to get hurt.

"Really?" Yoko slid her eyes at Shiroe.

"He's an enchanter?" Rikopin said.

"What's that spell?" Katsuomaru said. "It didn't hurt at all!"

Shiroe casted Electrical Fuzz again. It zapped Smash and Rikopin, but they didn't get hurt either.

"This isn't working at all," Yoko muttered.

Katsuomaru sent Naotsugu back with his hammer. "What were you trying to accomplish with that spell?"

"Thorn Bind Hostage!" Thorny vines trapped Katsuomaru head to toe.

"What is this?" He tried to get out.

Naotsugu slashed one thorn. Katsuomaru got hurt. Naotsugu slashed another one. Katsuomaru got hurt again.

"When all five thorns explode, you'll half your HP," Naotsugu told Katsuomaru.

"Calm down," Smash said. "We need to heal...Healer!"

"Your back's totally exposed!" Rikopin slashed Naotsugu's back.

Smash laughed. "We'll win because we have a healer and you don't! Have fun crying in the Cathedral-"

Yoko appeared out of nowhere. "Bye-bye, samurai." She and Naotsugu slashed the last two thorns. Katsuomaru died.

"Wha-" Smash backed out. "What are you doing, healer?"

His healer fell on his knees.

"Oi!"

"I've put your healer to sleep," Shiroe said. "Of course, they've been asleep the entire time."

"I'll take you out first, after all!" Rikopin leapt high in the air.

"Wait, not yet!" Smash shouted to her.

"You've just made a wrong move," Yoko said.

"What did you say, pipsqueak?" Rikopin sneered.

"You guys are _really _getting on my nerves now." She saw Naotsugu behind Rikopin.

"Anchor Howl hasn't worn off yet!" Naotsugu said.

"Cra-" Rikopin screamed after that.

"Told you." Yoko smiled slightly.

"Fine!" Smash huffed. "Sorcerer! Summoner! We'll use everything we have! Blast them to ash!"

Akatsuki pulled two bags filled with Smash's sorcerer and summoner. They died also. Shiroe and Naotsugu went to Yoko, who was eyeing Rikopin carefully.

"Insulting shukun's magic isn't wise," Akatsuki said. "You laughed at those small electric bursts, but those bright lights kept you from seeing in the dark forest. You never realized your healer was asleep. Your teamwork is full of openings."

Rikopin fled. Yoko just shrugged.

"You were too focused on the battle to even watch your own HP, or keep an eye on the rest of the party's status," Akatsuki resumed her speech. "Taking out your ambushers was easy."

"Shut up! Defeating us won't do any good!" Smash argued. "We'll just revive in the Cathedral..."

"Want to try it?"

Smash jabbed his weapon on the dirt. "I'm sorry! I won't do it again! Please forgive me! Please!" He drew his other weapon. "You actually thought I'd say that, you-"

Akatsuki slashed him, and he died.

"Nope, I didn't, you bastard," Yoko responded.

•••

"Security really is getting bad," Akatsuki said. There were people surrounding a campfire.

"It's not like PKing is good for much profit," Shiroe said.

"I can understand people being freaked out," Naotsugu said. "But there are other things they could do with their time."

"Like what?" Akatsuki and Yoko asked.

"Boobs-"

Akatsuki and Yoko kneed him on the wall.

"Shukun, may I knee this pervert in the face?" Akatsuki asked Shiroe.

"This is fun! Do it again!" Yoko was dancing.

"Ask before you do it! And while you're at it, let me finish my sentence!" Naotsugu pinched his nose.

"You were going to say something else perverted," Akatsuki and Yoko said.

"I was, but..."

"Other things to do?" Shiroe said. "You're probably right...There's nothing to do. No goal to live for. Taste aside, we have food. By defeating low-level monsters, you can make money. With that money, you can stay at an inn. Fighting isn't allowed in towns, so you don't have to fear for your life there. And even if you do die, you'll come back to life."

"So you can survive in this world without doing anything?" Naotsugu asked.

"But can you really call that a living? Or is just not being dead?"

"So they've just restored to PKing because there's nothing else to do?" Akatsuki said.

"They need something beyond staying alive to occupy their minds," Shiroe said.

"And they're getting it by hurting others?" Naotsugu said. "Unbelievable."

"Yeah, it's pretty pathetic. But..."

"Shukun?" Akatsuki was in front of him.

"Oh, but I don't really think things are getting worse. It just seems that way because everyone still thinks of this as the same Elder Tale world they knew. If it isn't that world, then security was an illusion from the start."

"Shukun..." Akatsuki said.

Shiroe put his hand on his ear. "Yes?"

"Hey, little werewolf is taking a nap," Naotsugu said.

Yoko was snoring.

"We're going to the Guild Building," Shiroe informed. "Marie-nee called me."

•••

"You're going to Susukino?" Naotsugu asked.

"S-Susukino?" Yoko trembled.

"On the day of the Apocalypse, one of our members was going to Susukino," Henrietta said.

"A girl called Serara..." Marielle said.

"You're going to find her?" Shiroe said.

"The transport gates still aren't working, right?" Naotsugu said.

"Using the fairy rings would be the only other way there," Akatsuki said.

"Yes, but..."

"They might not work," Yoko said.

"Indeed. Since we can't look up any online timetables in a walkthrough, using them is dangerous because we can't be sure where we'll end up," Henrietta said.

"I see."

"There's also the return spell, Call of Home, right?" Naotsugu said. "You can return to the last of the five Great Cities you visited...Wait."

"The last one she visited was Susukino," Henrietta told him.

"If she used it, she can't go back here," Yoko clarified.

"Yeah," Naotsugu agreed.

"The only methods left are by walking or by horse," Shiroe said. "In the real world, there are 850 km (528 mi) between Tokyo and Sapporo. The Elder Tale world uses the Half Gaia Project, so it would be 425 km (264 mi). And during that time, you'd have to fight monsters, of course. Why send help now?"

"Well..." Marielle said.

"W-We've been planning to send a rescue team for a while..." Henrietta said.

"Marie-nee..." Shiroe said darkly.

Marie looked away. "D-Don't look at me that way. You look really mean...If you do that, girls won't like you!"

Shiroe sent a mean aura. Then Marielle calmed down.

"Things in Susukino are worse than they are here," she said.

"Marie?" Henrietta became worried.

"Some nasty players attacked Serara."

"Pking?" Yoko raised an eyebrow.

"She was lucky to be saved by a nice player," Marielle said.

"Now they're protecting her," Henrietta said.

Yoko sighed in relief. "Thank goodness..."

"And so, we were going to take our highest-level players to Susukino," Marielle said. "And I wanted to ask if you'd take care of the rest of the guild while we're away."

"Please," Henrietta begged.

Marielle put her hands together. "Please...I beg you."

Naotsugu, Akatsuki, and Yoko exchanged glances, and nodded. After a moment of silence, they put their hands out.

"Say it, Shiro," Naotsugu said.

"Your turn to speak, shukun," Akatsuki said.

Yoko gave an reassuring smile. "So, what is it gonna be?"

Shiroe stood up. "We will go."

"Yeah! Wait...Nani?!" Yoko screamed.

"The best option is for us to go."

"You're really serious about this?! I mean..." Yoko gave up. "Fine."

Chieri opened the door. "Marielle-san, Henrietta-san. Are you ready to go?"

"Chieri, tell the others," Marielle began, "that we're not going."

"Eh? Why not?" Chieri demanded. "So we packed up for nothing?!"

"Don't be upset," Henrietta told her. "Shiroe-sama, Naotsugu-sama, Akatsuki-chan, and Yoko-chan will go instead."

Chieri turned her attention to Shiroe and the others. She nodded quickly.

"Okay." She bowed to Shiroe and the others. "Arigatogozaimasu!" She exited the office. "Minna!"

"What is it, Chieri-senpai?" Hien set his boxes down.

"Unpack everything. We're not going."

"What?" Shoryu slapped his clipboard down.

"I know. I was upset also," Chieri said. "Luckily, Marielle-san and Henrietta-san have a group of strangers that will go to Susukino instead."

Yoko came in. "Are sure you're okay with this?"

Ashlynn shook her head. "I want Yoko-san here!" She hugged Yoko's leg.

"I know you're sad that I'm leaving again," Yoko said. "But we're going to save Serara, okay?"

Ashlynn nodded slowly. "Okay."

•••

Shiroe and the others were at the Ueno Thieves' Realm with Marielle, Henrietta, and their highest-level members to say their good-bye when Shiroe and the others leave to Susukino to save Serara. Chieri was the only one crying.

"Chieri-senpai..." Shoryu and Hien tried to console her. "Don't worry. They're going to get Serara back."

"H-Hai," Chieri sniffed.

"Shiroe-sama, Naotsugu-sama, Akatsuki-chan, Yoko-chan..." Henrietta said.

"Please save Serara," Marielle said.

"Leave it to us, and to shukun," Akatsuki said. "A ninja does not know the word 'failure'."

•••

Shiroe and the others traveled on their summoned horses. Yoko's hair was blowing in front of her face.

"Where do you suppose these horses come from, anyway?" Naotsugu asked.

"How should I know?" Yoko whipped the reigns. Her horse galloped faster.

•••

Naotsugu did some stretches. "It's nice that the movement is automatic, but it still hurts my butt..."

"Does it?" Akatsuki moved closer to Shiroe. "That's a really nice map."

"My sublcass is scribe," Shiroe told him. "I made a copy of the maps at the archives."

"I see...Nice job, shukun."

"Well? Where are we?" Naotsugu said.

"Mostly likely..." Shiroe said.

"Seriously? I can't tell at all."

"Oh well...We'll make better time in the afternoon."

"Roger." Naotsugu, Akatsuki, and Yoko said.

•••

Naotsugu chomped on his sandwich. "I just wish they could do something about the food..."

"I know. I can't take this anymore," Yoko said weakly.

Shiroe was quiet.

"If someone you know is crying, you help," Naotsugu said. "There's nothing unusual about that."

"Yes," Akatsuki and Yoko agreed.

"Even if we have nothing to do, that's no reason for us to be pathetic, too."

"You're right," Shiroe said.

"Or is that too cool for us?"

"No, but..."

•••

"Now, then..." Naotsugu said.

Akatsuki and Yoko took out their flutes for their horses and were about to summon them, but Shiroe interrupted them, "Wait." He and Naotsugu took out different flutes.

"What is that, shukun?" Akatsuki asked.

"Yeah, they're different," Yoko said.

Naotsugu grinned. He and Shiroe blew on their flutes. Griffons soared from the sky.

"Those are griffons," Akatsuki said.

"Well, yeah," Shiroe said.

"Awesome!" Yoko exclaimed.

"You didn't think we were going to get to the far north on horses, did you?" Naotsugu asked.

"But these monsters..." Akatsuki said. "Wait...W-We're riding on them?"

"Hell yeah, we are!" Yoko petted Naotsugu's griffon.

"We are, Akatsuki-san," Shiroe said.

"It's Akatsuki."

"Oi, Yoko. You're riding behind me, okay?" Naotsugu went on his griffon's back. He offered his hand to Yoko. Yoko hopped on.

"I've heard of summon flutes like those," Akatsuki said. "That they're only given to players who've won the Hades Breath raid on the Fields of Death."

"You two did that?" Yoko asked Shiroe and Naotsugu.

"Yeah, a long time ago..." Shiroe said.

"It's a great trick to surprise people with!" Naotsugu said.

"I've tried going there." Yoko frowned.

"And?" Naotsugu raised an eyebrow.

"...Can't do it. I was weak back then." She and Naotsugu watched Akatsuki get on Shiroe's griffon.

"All set?" Shiroe asked Akatsuki.

"Yes, my lord, no problem..." Akatsuki was blushing.

"Okay, hang on tight. Wait, don't grab my stomach..."

"I'll go first!" Naotsugu announced. "Hang on tight, Yoko!" His griffon started to take its flight. "Yahoo!"

Yoko was screaming.

"Kid, you're about to make me deaf. Look at the view. It's great."

Yoko managed to open her eyes. Naotsugu was right. The view _is _great. She was laughing. Shiroe and Akatsuki caught up to them.

"Isn't this great?"Naotsugu yelled to Akatsuki.

"It's amazing...This is amazing!" Akatsuki said.

"Yeah!" Yoko howled. "This is the best ride ever!"


	3. Chapter 3: Onward to Susukino

"It's huge," Naotsugu said in awe as he and the others stopped in front of an entrance to a dungeon.

"Yep. That's pretty huge," Yoko said dully.

"When Elder Tale was still a game, we came here a lot, but..." Shiroe said.

"Yes, it looks quite different in person, my lord," Akatsuki approved without question.

"This is the Depths of the Palm..."

•••

Akatsuki landed on a platform near where Shiroe and the others were heading. "Reporting...No enemies in sight."

"That's good to hear." Yoko gave her a thumbs-up.

"Yeah."

"Okay, let's go on ahead, Shiro," Naotsugu said.

"Right," Shiroe said. He followed Naotsugu and Akatsuki to another path.

•••

Before they entered the Depths of the Palm, Shiroe and the others were resting on a part of the Tearstone Mountains. Yoko and Akatsuki were petting Shiroe's and Naotsugu's griffons.

"The only way to reach Ezzo, where Susukino is located, is to go over these mountains, then cross the channel." Shiroe pointed to the peaks with a dark line over them on his map.

"Walking will take time, and it's dangerous," Naotsugu said. His griffon bit his head.

"Hey! Stop!" Yoko ordered.

"So we'll have to go underground," Shiroe said.

•••

"This is way more impressive than it looked on a monitor." Naotsugu rubbed his forehead. He stepped forward, and the path cracked. But it didn't completely fall apart.

"That's was close," Yoko chuckled nervously.

"And it's so ancient, it's falling apart," Shiroe said.

"It wasn't this way in the game..." Naotsugu said.

"Shukun!" Akatsuki saw numerous rat-men on the top of the other side. She and the others kept walking.

"They're low-level monsters, but they can spread plague," Naotsugu said.

"They aren't attacking," Akatsuki observed.

"I think they're...waiting?" Yoko guessed.

"They instinctively know the differential between our levels, so we should be fine," Shiroe said. "But when concerned, they're dangerous. If we chase them anywhere narrow, or somewhere without an escape..."

Akatsuki blocked her teammates' way. There were rat-men on top of an entrance they're heading.

"If we do..." She said.

"They'll probably attack," Shiroe said.

"Should we break through?" Naotsugu asked.

"I don't think that's a great idea..." Yoko sucked breath with her teeth pressed together.

"I'd like to avoid wasting my time fighting," Shiroe replied. "And we don't want the plague debuff."

"I was right!"

"Let's take another route."

"Yeah," Naotsugu said.

•••

"This area seems safe," Naotsugu commented.

"Yeah," Shiroe agreed.

Akatsuki arrived. "Shukun, I just scouted the floor ahead."

"Thanks. Could you tell me what you saw? I want to cross-reference with my map."

Akatsuki was staring at him with her cheeks puffed. "You're being too formal." She waved her finger side-to-side.

"I can see why," Yoko said.

"G-Gomen," Shiroe said. "Naotsugu, Yoko, why don't you go ahead and...eat..."

Naotsugu couldn't chew on his food properly. Yoko didn't bother touch her food.

"This nasty food is the one thing I just can't get used to!" Naotsugu complained. "Even when you cook it..." His hotdog turned into a burnt mush. "It still ends up like this in a heartbeat."

"I can't believe he's crying," Yoko said. "Hey, we'll get real food someday, okay?"

Shiroe and Akatsuki started to join in.

"Today's lunch was salty mush," Naotsugu muttered. "Today's breakfast was sugary mush. Today's dinner is tasteless mush with an orange."

Yoko giggled. Shiroe heard a ring.

"A call, shukun?" Akatsuki asked.

"Oh, it's Marie-nee."

"Hi, Shiro-bo! Where are you?" Marielle asked.

Shiroe told her that he made it to the Depths of the Palm.

"E-Eh? The Depths of the Palm? You've really gone that far in three days?"

"That fast? That's impressive," Chieri commented in the background.

"How?" Henrietta demanded. "And is my Akatsuki-chan and Yoko-chan safe?"

Akatsuki and Yoko flinched.

"You told me your plan, but you're scaring me a little," Marielle said.

Crescent Moon Alliance's top leaders exchanged glances.

"Uh, that aside...How's it looking?" Shiroe asked.

"Ah, right. We're in touch with Serara via telepathy," Marielle said. "She says she's hiding with that nice guy I mentioned, and that's she okay for now."

"For now? What do you mean by that?" Chieri said angrily.

"Senpai..." Shoryu and Hien sighed.

"I see. That's good to hear," Shiroe said. "I guess some good people are left in Susukino.

"Yeah," Marielle said.

"Someone's helping her, huh? I wonder what they're like."

•••

"Shiro-bo, thanks...Seriously," Marielle said. "Be careful."

"Yes, talk to you later." Shiroe ended the voice chat.

"You didn't tell her we're using griffons?" Naotsugu asked.

"Guess not."

"Right..."

Akatsuki and Yoko waited for them to move deeper into the dungeon.

•••

"Hm, seems like everyone's here," Chieri said. "Liliana, tell Marielle-san."

Liliana went out to fetch Marielle.

"So, Chieri-senpai," Hien began, "what do you think Yoko and the others are doing right now?"

"I can't say, but I hope they're all right," Chieri answered. "Ashlynn can't stop crying."

"She really likes her. Probably like Yoko is her sister, too."

"Hey, speaking about your sister..."

"Don't make me go back there."

They were both silent for a while.

"Marielle-san is taking forever," Chieri said.

"Oi, where's the guild master?" someone demanded.

"Our guild master will be here soon...Sorry!" Hien said. "Just wait a little longer."

•••

"Woodstock W., from Grandeur. Ichimonjinosuke Akayena, from Radio Market," the Wolf Fang bard, Takayama Sansa, said to her guild master, Human guardian, Krusty. "It seems that they and several masters of the smaller guilds have gathered in the Crescent Moon Alliance's hall."

"Is that so?" Krusty said.

"Yes. And as for Shiroe, formerly of the Debauchery Tea Party..."

"That guy is still here?" the Human sorcerer, Ikuya, asked.

"Yes. He seems to be on his way to Susukino," Sansa said.

"Susukino?" Krusty lifted his paper a bit.

"Huh! That's his death wish right there," Ikuya puffed.

Krusty pushed his glasses up.

"Is something wrong?" Sansa asked.

"No, nothing."

Ikuya glanced at him. "You scare me sometimes, Krusty-san."

•••

Rocks splashed into the water. Naotsugu was about to fall in the gap.

"That was scary!" he said. "Hey, this bridge was in the game, right?"

"Yes," Shiroe said.

"Was it always on the verge of collapse?"

Yoko whistled while walking. Shiroe heard more rocks falling.

"Naotsugu! Akatsuki! Yoko! Stop!"

One of the supporters started to crack.

"Come on...Seriously?" Naotsugu said.

"We'll have to find another route," Shiroe said. "Let's head back! We'll go back one at a time-"

The floor bridge broke apart under Akatsuki's feet.

"Akatsuki!" Shiroe tried to save her, but he fell instead.

"Shukun!" Akatsuki yelled. "Shukun! Shukun!"

"Shiro-san!" Yoko jumped in.

"Damn you, Yoko!" Naotsugu yelled. "Yoko!"

•••

*Shiroe's flashback*

"The best part of adventuring is experiencing new things!" The former leader of the Debauchery Tea Party, Kanami, said.

"New things?" the Human samurai, Soujiro Seta, repeated.

"Yep, it's exciting and wonderful!"

"Really?" the Fox Tail swashbuckler, Megumi Mukai, asked.

"Almost as much as panties," Naotsugu said.

Megumi got ticked off. "I made a deal that I won't do this, but..." She flashed a frying pan. "I'm gonna kill you, Naotsugu-san!"

"Naotsugu-senpai, don't say that stuff in front of the ladies," Soujiro said. "You already made Meg mad."

"Shut up!" Naotsugu scolded him. "You're just saying that because the girls all like you!"

"Well, that's true, but..."

"I'll get you one of these days, Souji!"

"Please don't cry..."

"Just look at the gorgeous view," Kanami said. "Totally worth the effort! Right, Shiro-kun?"

Shiroe didn't say anything,

"What are you spacing out for? Lost in thought again...Shiro-kun?"

"Shiro-san?" Megumi said.

"Shiro-senpai?" Soujiro said.

"What's wrong, Shiro?" Naotsugu asked.

*Flashback ends*

•••

"Shiro-san!" Yoko said.

"Shukun!" Akatsuki gasped.

"Shiro!" Naotsugu said.

•••

"Shukun!" Akatsuki said.

Shiroe opened his eyes and found her in front of him.

"Are you awake?" Naotsugu stopped cleaning his sword.

"I can hardly breathe..." Yoko rasped. "If anyone asks, I'm okay."

"Are you all right, shukun?" Akatsuki asked.

"Where am I?" Shiroe said.

"Thank Yoko and the chibi," Naotsugu said. "After you fell, Yoko jumped in, but she failed because she was near drowning herself. So the chibi jumped in and saved you."

"You also jumped in, and pulled us all up," Akatsuki added. "And don't call me a chibi!"

"I see," Shiroe said. "Arigato, Naotsugu...Yoko and Akatsuki."

Yoko shook her head. "Don't thank me. I didn't save you."

"Me, too...I mean..." Akatsuki blushed. "Arigato."

"So obvious," Yoko said.

"Eh? For what?" Shiroe asked.

"You tried to save me..." Akatsuki said.

Naotsugu grinned. "Okay, let's get this adventure back on the road!"

"Right." Shiroe felt his clothing. "Weird, though. I fell into the water from that height, but I'm barely hurt, and I'm not cold."

"Maybe because your body's level 90?" Naotsugu guessed.

Akatsuki nodded.

"I think you're right," Yoko said

•••

"After all this walking, I'm hardly tired at all," Naotsugu said. "So where are we now?"

"We ended up taking the long way, but we're nearly out," Shiroe said.

"Yatta!" Yoko squealed.

"You really are good at cartography, shukun," Akatsuki said.

"My subclass is scribe, after all," Shiroe reminded her. "And back in the other world, I did CAD work."

"Come to think of it, that's true." Naotsugu finished stretching.

"CAD?" Yoko echoed.

"CAD?" Akatsuki asked. "What's CAD?"

"Designs you make on a computer," Shiroe said. "I do it at my university. I'm an engineering student."

"So you're a college student."

"A graduate student. I'm about to graduate...Or I was."

"Oh. Then you're basically the same age as I am."

Shiroe, Naotsugu, and Yoko were quiet.

"Seriously?" they blurted out.

Akatsuki lowered her eyes. "Is it that surprising?"

"You're kidding, right?" Naotsugu said. "I mean, you're totally a little kid-"

Akatsuki kneed him to a wall.

"I missed my chance." Yoko frowned.

"Shukun, may I kick this stupid Naotsugu?" Akatsuki crossed her arms.

"I've told you, ask _before _you do that!" Naotsugu shouted.

"It's your fault for being rude and perverted."

"Perverted? You mean like b-"

Akatsuki kneed him to a crystal field.

"Aw, you did it without me!" Yoko whined.

"Shukun, may I take this pervert and..."

"Again? At least let me get another letter in!" Naotsugu said.

"Akatsuki, Naotsugu's going to cry," Shiroe said.

"This is the second thing he cries over?" Yoko asked.

"Shukun, Yoko, did you two also think I was a child?" Akatsuki inquired.

"Nope," Yoko said smoothly."

"N-No, I wouldn't say 'child'," Shiroe said nervously.

"Oh, Yoko. Aren't you in college, too?" Naotsugu asked.

"Nope," Yoko said. "I'm in my second year of high school."

Shiroe and Naotsugu dropped their jaws. "Nani?!"

"Yeah. I'm seventeen." Yoko fidgeted with her thumbs.

Naotsugu pursed his lips. "Ah! So you're still okay with me saying b-"

Yoko punched him.

"Oi, kid! Not cool!" Naotsugu shouted.

"You were about to say something perverted."

"I was, but..."

•••

Akatsuki was scouting the area. She landed in front of Shiroe, Naotsugu, and Yoko.

"What are you thinking about, shukun?" she said.

"Nothing, really," Shiroe said.

"That isn't true. Whenever you're thinking, your brow furrows."

"Right here." Akatsuki pointed in the middle of her eyebrows. "You look like an old man."

"Now that you mentioned that, Akatsuki-san, that's true," Yoko said. "Shiro-san, what were you thinking about?"

Shiroe backed out. "Uh..."

Naotsugu started laughing.

"What are you laughing at?"

"Well...You heard her!"

"Naotsugu!"

The floor became different. Purple smoke surrounded Shiroe and the others.

"Where did this come from?" Akatsuki said.

"Lag?" Naotsugu and Yoko questioned.

"No, we switched zones," Shiroe said.

"Shukun, above us!" Akatsuki warned.

Naotsugu pulled out his sword. "What is that thing? It's blocking the stairs...Was that in the game?"

"I don't think so," Yoko said.

"A subspecies of rat-man?" Shiroe said. "Doesn't seem to have a specific name."

"Which means..." Akatsuki said.

"It's one of the new Novasphere monsters? It's huge, but it's level 68. Looks like it's mostly status debuffs."

"Is it the reason the dungeon's falling apart?"

"Probably. It's a little risky, but we have no choice. Let's eliminate it."

"Okay!" Naotsugu said. "Let's make this quick, strategist. Over here, big boy!" He put his sword and shield to make a flash. The rat-man lashed at him with one of its tails.

"Stealth Blade!" Akatsuki slashed the rat-man.

"Cross Slash!" Naotsugu did the same thing.

"I'll confuse him!" Yoko announced. "Phantom Step!" She created a lot of copies of herself. "Try to figure out the real one, you big rodent!" She and her copies attacked the rat-man at the same time. The rat-man crushed its hand on Naotsugu's shield.

"You can't apprehend size, breath, or stink through a monitor!" Naotsugu said.

"Here I go!" Shiroe formed bright vines from his rod. "Thorn Bind Hostage!"

Naotsugu, Akatsuki, and Yoko slashed one each. The vines exploded.

"Its defense is pretty high," Naotsugu said. "Two left...Get it, shrimp!"

"Don't call me shrimp!" Akatsuki said.

"Yoko, get it, too!" Naotsugu got crushed by the rat-man.

"O-" Yoko got also crushed by the rat-man. "I can't!"

"I'll ensure you don't miss." Shiroe's rod formed a purple ball. "Mind Shock!"

The rat-man threw Naotsugu and Yoko in the air.

"Keen Edge!" Akatsuki's blade became more brighter.

"Thank you, shukun!" Akatsuki said. "Now it'll only take one more hit." She slashed two more vines. "Assassinate."

The rat-man exploded.

•••

Yoko found a gap above her. She climbed to the top and saw the sunset.

"Guys! Get up here!" she yelled to Shiroe, Naotsugu, and Akatsuki. "It's nice up here!"

Shiroe, Naotsugu, and Akatsuki climbed up.

"Wow," Shiroe said.

"The wind is cold," Akatsuki said.

"But it feels great!" Naotsugu said. "We're finally through the tough part."

"It's beautiful."

"Amazing."

"When Elder Tale was a game, lots of players passed by here at dawn," Shiroe said.

"Really?" Yoko asked.

"But...We're the first ones here. We're the first adventurers in the world to see this."

"That's right," Naotsugu said. "I've never seen anything so amazing, even in Elder Tale."

"It's our first prize for victory," Akatsuki said.

"Hey, let's stay here for a while," Yoko suggested. "We may not experience this again."

"Yeah."


	4. Chapter 4: Brigandia

"Brigandia's the guild that's bossing people around in Susukino, right?" Naotsugu wanted to make sure.

"Even when this was a game, they had a bad reputation," Akatsuki said.

"To them this must be heaven."

"Well, I hate their version of heaven," Yoko said.

"Yes, thank you. Goodbye." Shiroe ended the voice chat.

"What did they say?" Naotsugu wanted to know.

"Marie-nee will talk to Serara-san."

"Roger."

"But, shukun..." Akatsuki said. "Why are we meeting them in the city? Is it unsafe outside?"

"Yeah, why is that, Shiro-san?" Yoko asked.

"If we meet up outside and are wiped out in the fight, we'd revive in the Akihabara Cathedral, but Serara-san would revive at the Susukino Cathedral," Shiroe answered.

"I understand," Akatsuki said.

"Serara is on a Brigandia member's Friend List, right?" Naotsugu asked.

"Yeah," Shiroe said. "Her current hiding spot is within a private zone, so they can't find her. By the minute she leaves, they'll locate her and send pursuit."

"So she's gotta get out before they catch up."

"Akatsuki, I'd like you to hide yourself with Sneak and Silent Move, please."

"No 'please', shukun." Akatsuki disappeared.

"She doesn't like being formal," Yoko said.

"Then let's get this plan in gear!" Naotsugu announced.

•••

Some suspicious people watched Shiroe, Naotsugu, and Yoko enter Susukino. Most of them were focusing on Yoko.

"Looks like they noticed us," Shiroe said.

"Yeah," Naotsugu said. "Anyway, talk sbout a nasty atmosphere..."

"Yeah," Yoko said. She followed Shiroe to a crystal-dominated place.

"This is the place," Shiroe said. "Akatsuki, keep watch."

"Understood," Akatsuki replied.

"Naotsugu, Yoko, you two wait here."

"Roger," Naotsugu and Yoko said. Shiroe went inside.

"Hey, I'll look around a bit," Yoko told Naotsugu. "I'll might pull out some information about this place by asking people."

"That's smart," Naotsugu said. "Go ahead."

Yoko left her spot and wandered around on the grounds of Susukino. A NPC clerk spotted her.

"Ano...Are you a monk?" the NPC clerk questioned.

"I am. Why?" Yoko wondered.

The NPC clerk took out a pair of spiky, leather cestus gloves. "Can you use these?"

"You're saying that I can keep these?"

"They're supposed to be for Demikas...But I don't want to give them to someone scary like him. Since you're nothing like him, I'm going to give these to you as a gift from me. They're supposed to be higher than 800 gold."

"Will he kill you for that?"

"This is a town. He can't kill me here."

Yoko pursed her lips. "I'll give you all of my gold as a thank you. I don't want to leave you empty-handed."

"Are you being genuine? You're so kind..."

Yoko took out her gold from her satchel. The NPC clerk narrowed his eyes.

"I remember you! You're the Savager!" he gasped. "You came back!"

"I came back to save someone," Yoko said. "A girl named Serara."

"You mean the girl that Demikas was looking for?"

"Why is Demikas looking for Serara-san?"

"Demikas offered her a chance to become his servant instead of being sold off to slavery, but she refused, and ran away. I heard that she got rescued by someone living in here."

"That's why I'm here."

"I see, Savager-sama." The NPC clerk shoved Yoko's gold quickly into his sack. He saw Demikas and his guild coming.

"Demikas is here," he said. "Run. And thank you for your service."

Yoko slipped off her old cestus gloves and put them in her satchel, and slipped on her new ones. She zoomed away and camouflaged behind a barrel. Demikas stopped by the shop.

"Where are my gloves?" he asked the NPC clerk.

"Er..." The NPC clerk played with his thumbs. Demikas spotted Yoko's gold.

"That's a lot of gold there," he said. "Give me all of them."

"Demikas-san," one of his members contacted him. "The Savager is back."

"Hmph. Her again. You bastard! You gave her my weapons!"

"She will kill you," the NPC clerk said boldly. Demikas was about to slash him, but he remembered that there is no fighting allowed in towns.

"You got lucky this time," he growled. "Find the Savager."

Yoko zoomed away. On the way, she heard a ring.

"Shiro-san?" she said.

"Can you back me up here? I'm heading outside," Shiroe said.

"Roger." She contacted Naotsugu. "Naotsugu-san. We'll split up for now. Shiro-san asked me to back him up."

"Okay," Naotsugu said. "I'll see you soon." The voice chat ended. She found Shiroe walking with a Werecat swashbuckler and a seemingly young Human druid. She immediately contacted Shiroe.

"I found you. I'll come out pretty soon." She ended the voice chat, and walked out of the alley.

"Oh, look. It's the Savager," one of Brigandia's members cooed. "She finally came out."

"Demikas is going to kill you," the second Brigandia member hissed.

"I'm stronger than him. Deal with it, wuss," Yoko snapped.

"She got me! Make way! Make way!"

The Brigandia members became scared. They parted in half and Shiroe along with the Werecat and the Human were revealed.

"Yoko? You finally caught up that quick?" Shiroe sounded surprised.

"Ano..." the Human druid said. "You're part of the rescue, too?"

"Ah, gomen. Are you Serara-san? My name is Yoko."

"Yes. This is Nyanta-san, the one who rescued me."

"Is she one of your new friends, Shiroe-cchi?" the Werecat, Nyanta, asked.

"She is, Chief," Shiroe said.

"Hey. There's the giant ahead of you." Yoko meant the leader of Brigandia, Demikas.

"Chief Nyanta?"

"What?" Nyanta said.

"If you went one-on-one with the enemy leader..."

"A foolish question, nyah."

Shiroe pushed his glasses. Serara became worried.

"Don't worry," Nyanta assured her. "I won't let them touch you, Serara-san, nyah."

"Me too." Yoko smiled at her.

"Which of you is Brigandia's Demi-glace-san?" Shiroe announced.

Serara and Yoko freaked out.

"Shiro-san, you have some nerve to taunt Brigandia's guild master!" Yoko exclaimed.

"Now, Shiroe-cchi...Asking something so loudly is rude, nyah," Nyanta said loudly. "It's the excessively huge guy sitting over there. Oi, Demikas!"

Demikas teleported from his throne. "It's been a long time, Serara."

Serara was crying.

"You didn't think you could disobey me and get away with it, did you? If you come back now, I'll forgive you. Of course, I'll send you to the Cathedral ten times first!"

Serara cried even more.

"Are you sure?" Yoko sneered. "You can't even kill a girl like me!"

The Brigandia members gasped. Demikas tightened his fists.

"Recklessness is the way of the young," Nyanta said. "And tolerance is the beauty of adulthood. But...There is such a thing as going too far, nyah."

"Huh?" Demikas said.

"You've gone too far, nyah. Reigning in children who stray too far behind the lines is also an adult's job. Come on, I'll fight you one-on-one, nyah."

"Ridiculous. Why should I fight you? I rather fight the Savager."

"Are you afraid to face me alone?"

"What?!"

"If so, it's useless to face me...ahem, the Savager on your own," Yoko said.

"You little-" Demikas then hesitated.

"Sorry to interrupt, Mister, eto...Delicious-san," Shiroe said. "But it doesn't have to be you. I prefer the one in the gray robe. Isn't that an artifact drop from the Fire Lizard's Cave? You seem stronger."

"Have you heard my name, Londark of Gray Steel?" the Elf sorcerer, Londark, said.

"So you have a nickname...No wonder. It would be more satisfying for both of us if the strongest fighters settled things. We'll have our Chief Nyanta fight you."

"Let us finish this, nyah," Nyanta declared. "We can ignore the cowardly meatball here, as he's too scared to fight himself."

Yoko snickered. "Good one."

"Very well..." Demikas said. "If you want to fight that much..." He teleported above Nyanta. "I'll fight you!" He punch the ground. Shiroe and Yoko guarded Serara from the dusty rocks.

"It's been a long time...since I've gotten to devour someone, nyah." Nyanta flashed his rapiers.

•••

"Nyanta-san!" Serara said.

"I'd rather the lady didn't see anything too gory, nyah," Nyanta said. "If you want me to go easy, tell me quickly, nyah."

"Just keep talking," Demikas said.

Yoko blew her whistle and shook her pompoms. "Let's go, Nyanta-dono, let's go!"

"How did you get those things?!" Serara gasped.

"Aura Saber!" Demikas swung his leg at Nyanta. Yoko shielded herself with her pompoms.

"Phantom Step!" Demikas clashed his claw with Nyanta's rapiers. "Did you think you could defeat me with those little toy swords?"

"How rude," Nyanta said. "A rapier is a gentleman's weapon, nyah."

Serara checked Nyanta's and Demikas's hit points. Nyanta was on the red zone.

"Nyanta-san's hit points..." Serara said.

"Demikas has more HP," Londark said. "But..."

"Tch, do you think the one with the highest HP always wins?" Yoko asked.

Londark gritted his teeth. "You little-"

Demikas clutched on his arm. "Stop jumping around, and fight fair and square!"

"Coming from you, 'fair and square' sounds like a bastardization of our fair language, nyah," Nyanta translated.

"Serara-san," Shiroe said. "When I give the signal, I want you to cast a healing pulse on everyone."

"Everyone?"

"I'm done playing around!" Demikas shouted. "You guys, heal me! Surround the cat and kill him!"

His healers hesitated.

"Cowards," Yoko muttered.

"Step on it," Londark ordered.

"H-Hai," one warrior said. The warriors charged at Nyanta.

"Anchor Howl!" Naotsugu appeared out of nowhere and casted his move.

"Naotsugu-san!" Yoko said. "You're just in time. Thank God..."

"This isn't fair," Demikas said.

"Healer teams, heal Demikas," Lonark commanded.

"Hai!" The healers casted their healing pulses on Demikas.

"Shit," Yoko cursed under her breath. "Demikas's health is coming back."

"It's fine," Londark said to the warriors. "Take out the guardian first."

"Hai!" the second warrior said. The warriors slashed Naotsugu's shield.

"Bastards!" Yoko unleashed a big leap and swung her fist at all of them.

"The Savager..." the third warrior said quietly.

"She got stronger," the fourth warrior admitted.

"Savager?" Naotsugu asked.

"Long story," Yoko said. "Try to catch me, wusses! Phantom Step!" She multiplied herself.

"Shit! Which one is the real one?" the fifth warrior demanded.

"Just kill all of them!" the sixth warrior suggested.

Yoko disappeared. All of the warriors turned around. Yoko and her copies appeared behind them.

"Ooh, not a smart move to turn around." They punched them.

"Nice, uh...Yoko and her copies," Naotsugu said.

Yoko and her copies flashed a peace sign. "Thanks!"

"Shiro!" Naotsugu turned to Shiroe.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Yoko and her copies asked him.

Shiroe took out his staff and put it down. "Ready the spell."

"H-hai!" Serara said.

"I can do this on my own, Yoko," Naotsugu said. "Just go." He jabbed his shield on the ground. "Castle of Stone!" He turned into stone. Yoko teleported away from the warriors. The warriors hit Naotsugu, but Naotsugu didn't receive any damage.

"Now," Shiroe said. "Cast all your healing spells on Naotsugu!"

"Hai!" Serara said. She raised her wand. "Healing Wind!"

"Buying time won't save you, Serara." Demikas kicked Nyanta away. "Castle of Stone has a ten-minute cool down!"

Yoko appeared next to Shiroe. "Shit, this is not good."

"Trust me, Yoko," Shiroe said. "I'm the strategist."

Yoko snapped her fingers. "Oh yeah! I almost forgot...Whoops."

"If he's using a skill he can't use again for another ten minutes," Londark said, "that guardian must be out of options. He must be starting to panic."

"He doesn't look like it," Yoko said.

"When the spell runs out, you're dead," Demikas said. "You've made this harder than it had to be, Serara. Tiger Echo Fist!" He launched a powerful punch at Nyanta, which send him flying and land on his feet.

"Think it's about time, nyah..." Nyanta said. "Shiroe-cchi?"

Shiroe was grinning evilly. "Here we go, Chief Nyanta. Yoko."

"Eh? Oh! Yeah!" Yoko nodded quickly.

Demikas was charging at Nyanta. "What are you talking about?"

"Thorn Bind Hostage!" Vines trapped Demikas.

"A root?" Demikas said. "That won't work on me!" He tried to kick Nyanta and Yoko, but they were on his leg.

"Hi!" Yoko said.

"Got you!" He punched the ground, but Nyanta and Yoko were already behind him. They slashed all vines except one. Demikas is left with one HP.

"I-Impossible..." Londark said.

"Our guild master..." one of the members said.

"His entire HP vanished in an instant? What did you do?" A fireball appeared on Londark's hand. "Healers, heal! We can still-" His fireball disappeared. "Crap..." He and the healers were assassinated by Akatsuki.

"Put away your swords!" Naotsugu announced. "If you don't...uh..."

"You'll get a death penalty." Yoko cracked her knuckles.

"We came through the Depths of the Palm," Shiroe said. "Akihabara and this city are no longer so far apart as to prevent travel between them. You're finished causing this kind of trouble! We've won this battle. Or do you still want to fight, Demikas-san?"

"Get me to do his death penalty!" Yoko whined.

"Shut your mouth..." Demikas said. "I'm sending you all to the Cathedral. Over and over again...Until you break!"

Yoko went in front of Shiroe. "You have to get through me first!"

"We meet again, Savager." Demikas raised his fist.

"Yoko!" Shiroe, Naotsugu, and Akatsuki yelled.

"Stop!" Serara cut the last thorn on Demikas.

"Seems you're the one taking a trip to the Cathedral," Shiroe said.

"I won't forget you...Enchanter Shiroe, I won't forget your face!" He laughed maniacally, and his laugh echoed after he died.

"You guys behind me," Yoko said. "What are you looking at?"

The remaining Brigandia members began to panic. Shiroe, Naotsugu, and Nyanta blew on their flutes for their griffons. They, along with Akatsuki, Yoko, and Serara, left Susukino on their griffons.


	5. Chapter 5: Food At Last!

"Kid, you scared me to death back there!" Naotsugu said. He squeezed Yoko tightly. "Thank Serara-chan for saving you."

"Ow, you're killing me," Yoko wheezed.

"Whoops, sorry."

"So you care about me, right?"

"Very much compared to p-"

Yoko punched him.

"Ow, what's with the spikes on your gloves?" Naotsugu whined.

"I bought them from Susukino," Yoko said. "I just found out they're magic resistant and they increase accuracy. Pretty cool, huh?"

"IT HURTS!"

"Well, sorry about that."

"Speaking of Susukino, how did you get the nickname Savager?"

"I was fighting Brigandia in the safe zone. Royal Guards came, so I fought them, too. I was only level 78."

"You're kidding. They're level 100. How is that possible?"

"I have my ways..."

(A/N: I'm not sure if I want to make a spin-off of Yoko's time in Susukino before the Apocalypse. If you guys want me to make a spin-off, you can just comment. I just need two or more comments.)

•••

"Serara, you're okay, right?" Marielle asked through telepathy. "I'm so glad...I'm really relieved."

"Yes! She's okay!" Chieri ran across the hallway. "Minna! Serara is okay!"

"Chieri-san got crazy again," Ashylnn said.

"Hai, I'm sorry I worried you," Serara said. "Goodbye." She turned around. "I really am safe now, aren't I?"

"We went over the Lyport Channel," Shiroe said.

"They don't have griffons, nyah," Nyanta added. "We'll be fine now, nyah."

Serara's tears were showing and her cheeks were red. "Now that I'm safe, I just feel kind of..." She fell on her knees. "Thank you, everyone!"

Akatsuki's stomach growled.

"Akatsuki-san, was that you?" Yoko asked.

Akatsuki shook her head.

"Now that she feels safe, you feel hungry!" Naotsugu said.

"D-Don't blame it on someone else, stupid Naotsugu!" Akatsuki said, embarrassed.

"I'm hungry, too."

Everyone laughed.

•••

Yoko was helping Akatsuki with the firewood. Shiroe and Naotsugu were setting up the tents.

"So we're supposed to set these up ourselves?" Naotsugu asked Shiroe.

"Naotsugu, spread out the ground sheet," Shiroe said as he hammered a nail on the ground.

"Uh, Shiro, since when have you been into camping?"

"I once read about it in a book. I think Yoko knows about camping."

"What?" Yoko said.

"Do you know how to set these up?" Naotsugu asked.

"Sorry, I'm helping Akatsuki-san with the firewood."

"Oh."

Shiroe raised a pole. "Though I'm sure in the real world, it wouldn't be this easy..."

"You never know what'll come in handy in this world."

•••

*Night*

"All right!" Naotsugu said. "We have a place to sleep!"

"If this were the game, we'd only need to log out and go to bed," Shiroe said.

"Since we're here, we might as well have doing it the hard way."

"But..."

Yoko headed to the table. "Let's eat. I know the food here is tasteless, but we have to deal with it."

•••

"Our food..." Shiroe said.

"It looks so yummy..." Naotsugu said sadly. "But it doesn't taste like anything."

Yoko rattled the table. "Forget what I said! I can't deal with this! I need real food, people!"

"Serara and Nyanta are late," Akatsuki said.

Naotsugu rattled the table and his chair fell down. "Something smells!"

"Dude, snap out of it!" Yoko complained.

"What's gotten into you?" Shiroe said. He, Akatsuki, and Yoko smelled something really good. "What's this? The smell of cooked meat?"

•••

Nyanta was cooking kababs on a grill. Shiroe and the others arrived to his campsite.

"Looks like our hungry campers could smell the food cooking , nyah," Nyanta said.

"But I don't know about tasteless meat, even if it does smell good," Naotsugu said. He and the others bit on their kababs.

"Yum!" Naotsugu said.

"This is...I can't describe it!" Akatsuki said with her mouth full. "Amazing!"

"I'm crying! No, I'm not crying...I'm crying!" Yoko sobbed. "This is awesome!"

"The texture when you bite into it...The delicious juices...The sweetness of the fat!" Naotsugu howled.

"Just the right amount of salt, with rosemary for a secret ingredient..." Akatsuki said.

Shiroe pushed his glasses. "This is, without a doubt..."

"The taste of real food!" He and the others exclaimed.

"Meow," Nyanta said.

"You're amazing, Chief!" Naotsugu cried. "More!"

"Now, now...Don't be in such a rush. There's plenty."

"But how..." Shiroe said.

"Meow," Nyanta said. "Prepare the ingredients, and pick the items you want from the menu. And it will make you a food item that looks just like the real thing, nyah."

"Yes, exactly like the game."

"But it doesn't taste like anything," Naotsugu added.

"Get away from thinking of this in terms of a game, nyah," Nyanta said. "Ingredient items like fruits and vegetables taste like the real things, right, nyah? So just do what I've done here...Don't make it from the menu. Prepare and cook the ingredients with your own hands, nyah."

Shiroe and Naotsugu did the same thing as Nyanta did. They failed.

"It turned into that again," Yoko said.

"That happened because the person who made it wasn't a chef, or didn't have the requisite cooking level, nyah," Nyanta explained.

"Which means..." Naotsugu said.

"That's correct, nyah. My subclass is chef."

"I see..." Shiroe said. "Then to make it for real, someone with the appropriate skill must do it?"

•••

Akatsuki stood up. "Master Nyanta..."

"M-Master?" Naotsugu said.

"Allow me to introduce myself properly. My name is Akatsuki. My class is assassin. I'm level 90."

"You were splendid back there," Nyanta commented.

"Not at all," Akatsuki said. "I was impressed by the way you fought."

"I was, too." Yoko stood up. "My name is Yoko, a level 90 monk."

"Thank you for helping me. I was very surprised of how you almost risked your life to save Shiroe-cchi," Nyanta said.

"Eto...A-Arigato, Nyanta-dono."

"What?" Naotsugu said. "That isn't how you two acted toward me..."

"Of course not, Morontsugu," Akatsuki said.

"Don't shorten it!"

"Then, Talltsugu."

"That isn't better."

"I see you have good companions, Shiroe-cchi, nyah," Nyanta said. "You, too, Serara-san..."

Serara stood up. "Ah, hai. I apologize for not properly introducing myself. I'm Serara, with the Crescent Moon Alliance. I'm still a novice druid, at level 19. My subclass is maid. A-Ano...I'm sorry for the trouble I caused with my poor healing skills! I'm still training from Chieri-dono, one of the team leaders of the Crescent Moon Alliance."

"It was more than enough," Naotsugu said. "Your teacher is doing a good job of training you."

"Arigatogozaimasu. And, Shiroe-san, thank you...Thank you very much!"

"Uh, no...I didn't do anything special," Shiroe said.

"Shiroe-cchi's always been easily embarrassed, nyah," Nyanta said.

"Let me guess, Serara-chan." Naotsugu put a frame around his eye. "You've always been told you're the third cutest in class, but you get more love letters than anyone!"

"Aw, that's a cute thing to say!" Yoko said. "At least you didn't say anything perverted that will earn you a punch."

"H-Hai?" Serara said.

Akatsuki sent Naotsugu spinning in the air.

"Shukun, I kneed that rude man in the face."

"He wasn't being rude!" Yoko said.

"Enough with the knees, and enough of the after-action reports!" Naotsugu said.

"While I was at it, I confiscated his meat," Akatsuki said.

Naotsugu gasped.

•••

Naotsugu laid on his back. "I can't move..."

"You ate too much, Pigtsugu," Akatsuki said.

"So you two have known each other for a long time," Serara said. "Right, Nyanta-san and Shiroe-san?"

"Naotsugu-cchi, too, nyah," Nyanta added. "When this was a game, we were all in the same group, nyah. It was called the Debauchery Tea Party."

"That's right," Akatsuki said. "I heard about a legendary party that completed many difficult quests. That was shukun and Master Nyanta?"

"And me, too!" Naotsugu pointed to himself.

"Then you were all in the same guild?" Serara asked.

"It wasn't a guild. More like a hangout."

"Each of us was in a different guild, and was quite different than the others," Nyanta said. "We had nothing in common. We just happened to enjoy adventuring together, nyah."

"Sounds like a fun guild to be in," Yoko said.

"You are correct, Yoko-san, nyah."

Akatsuki lowered her head.

"Akatsuki?" Shiroe said.

"Did you eat too much?" Naotsugu said.

"No..." Akatsuki said. "But just now, you told a lie."

"What?" Yoko said.

"Naotsugu couldn't possibly have been a member of such a legendary party."

"It's true!" Naotsugu said.

"Akatsuki-san's got a point," Yoko said. "You're an open pervert."

"Do you have a better answer than that?"

•••

"That said, we went many different places, nyah," Nyanta said.

"We also had many friends," Naotsugu said. "It was fun!"

"Meow."

Yoko snored.

"She's taking a nap again," Naotsugu said. "We should sleep, too."

•••

*Sunset*

Shiroe and the others ate fried fish. Serara was squealing.

_So obvious... _Shiroe, Naotsugu, Akatsuki, and Yoko thought.

"Meow." Nyanta glanced at Serara.

"So she's after middle-aged guys?" Naotsugu whispered to Shiroe.

"He just seems like an adult," Shiroe said.

"All that meowing is annoying, though."

Shiroe laughed.

"Serara has good taste," Akatsuki said.

Shiroe, Naotsugu, and Yoko became shocked.

"You feel the same way about him?" Shiroe asked.

"The master is a first-class swordsman," Akatsuki said.

Shiroe, Naotsugu, and Yoko exchanged looks.

"Shukun, shukun." Akatsuki tugged Shiroe's sweatshirt. "You aren't a swordsman, but you are very talented, as well."

"Oh...Are you trying to console me?" Shiroe said.

"Nope." Akatsuki puffed up her cheeks.

_So obvious... _Yoko thought.

•••

*Night*

"When you see her like this, she really does look young," Naotsugu said.

"How old do you suppose she is?" Shiroe said.

"In this world, you can't tell by looking at them. Just based on looks, you'd say Akatsuki was in elemen-"

Akatsuki punched him.

"Ow! Anyways, she can't be in high school, like Yoko. She looks too young."

"Yeah, I agree," Yoko said.

"Middle school, maybe?" Shiroe wondered. "Which would make her the same age as those twins."

"Twins?" Naotsugu said.

"I ran into them when this was a game. The girl was a shrine maiden, and the boy was a samurai." Shiroe told Naotsugu, Akatsuki, Yoko, and Nyanta the story.

"Have you been always been that nice?"

"I don't like it when people come to me because they want something..."

"Meow..." Nyanta said.

"But those two were beginners," Shiroe continued. "They seemed to be having a great time adventuring. So I showed them the ropes for a while, using the Teacher System."

"Teacher System?" Akatsuki asked.

"A system that lets high-level players lower their levels to play with lower-leveled characters."

"Oh, didn't you used that when you met me?" Yoko asked.

"I did."

"Hardly anyone used it," Naotsugu said. "It was risky."

"All your stats took a big hit, even if only temporary..." Shiroe said.

"Why would you drop your level?" Akatsuki asked. She thought about it. "Wait, I see."

"You're pretty smart, Akatsuki-san, nyah," Nyanta said.

"And where are those two now?" Naotsugu asked.

"On my Friend List," Shiroe answered. "The sister is Minori, and her younger brother is Toyha. I saw them after the Apocalypse."

"Then they were caught up in it."

"I wish I was with them right up until it happened. Then, the next thing I knew, I was back in Akihabara. And they were gone."

"I was also teleported, into an abandoned building," Akatsuki said.

"You should have said something to them," Naotsugu said. "I'm sure they've been having a hard time."

"Yeah," Shiroe agreed. "Ano...Yoko. You have a younger brother right?"

"He's a year younger than me," Yoko said.

"Do you know if he plays Elder Tale or not? Or does he know if you play Elder Tale or not?"

"How should I know?"

"I see..."

•••

"Well, I'm sure he had his reasons." Nyanta gave Shiroe tea.

"We had our hands full," Shiroe said. "I doubt we had the energy to spare..."

"Yeah, the little werewolf is sleeping again." Naotsugu looked down at Yoko, who was napping on his lap. He reached for her pants and pulled it down slightly, but he was punched under his jaw by Yoko.

"Pedophile!" she screamed. "Next time, I won't nap on you ever again!"

"You have a new nickname for me?" Naotsugu clutched on his chin.

"And when I saw them, they were both in a guild."

"Yeah?"

"At the time, they were level 8. Now they might be a little higher. If they're in a guild, they should be fine."

"By the way, Shiroe-kun...Was Minori-chan cute?"

"I don't know...In the real world, all I could hear was her voice. And when I saw her, I couldn't see her face."

"No, no, no. You can tell some things from the voice..."

"Pedophile." Yoko sipped her tea.

"Stupid pervert Naotsugu," Akatsuki said.

"Better than being a closet pervert!" Naotsugu cried.

"Shut up...You're making my tea taste bad."

"So let's talk about which is better, being closeted or open!"

Yoko punched him.

"Not again..." Naotsugu's nose was smoking.

•••

"Where are we?" Naotsugu asked as he and the others walked into a farm.

"The south end of the Arb Highlands," Akatsuki said.

"Shiroe-cchi..." Nyanta said.

"Hai?" Shiroe said.

"Have you been alone since then, nyah? Without joining any guilds?"

"Wh-What about you? What happened with that guild? Um, you know...The Cat Food guild!"

"Cat Food guild?" Yoko sounded out.

"What's that?" Serara asked.

"A proud organization comprised solely of cat people, nyah," Nyanta said. "I loved sitting on the porch, but the house was getting old. Something like that, nyah..."

"How wonderful!"

_So obvious..._ Yoko thought.

"But it couldn't handle the bad weather, so half the house caved in, nyah," Nyanta said.

"Then it's basically disbanded..." Shiroe said.

•••

"Hello!" Naotsugu announced as he, Shiroe, and Yoko entered an inn.

"We're travelers," Shiroe said. "Could you put us up for the night?"

Yoko yawned.

"Oh, my...Adventurers?" An old NPC man came out. "That's a rare sight."

"Yo!" Naotsugu said.

"Konnichiwa," Yoko said.

"Welcome to the village of Arb," the old NPC man said. "My name is Fedor. I'm the village ombudsman. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you," Shiroe and Yoko said.

"Eh? So you have a name..."

•••

Fedor led Shiroe and the others inside his barn. "You may use this barn as you like."

"Thank you," Shiroe said.

Naotsugu jumped into a mound of straw. "Straw!"

Akatsuki was cleaning her hands. "Move. We have to give everyone some."

"What?"

"Come on, Naotsugu-san. You gotta move that butt of yours out of that straw," Yoko said.

"What the hell? You're that skinny?" Naotsugu dropped his jaw.

"I'm into athletics in the real world. And..." Yoko punched him. "Don't look at me like that."

"If you're not moving..." Akatsuki gathered a bundle of straw. "...then I'll get some straw off of your pile."

"Not fair!" Naotsugu gathered a bundle of straw that is slightly bigger than Akatsuki's. "Give me more!"

"This is for shukun!"

"Nani?"

Yoko gathered a huge bundle of straw over her head. "Thanks for distracting him for me, Akatsuki-san."

Naotsugu and Akatsuki looked at each other and nodded.

"Eh? What are you guys doing that for?"

Naotsugu and Akatsuki hopped on Yoko.

•••

"Oh...So you're going to Akihabara," Fedor said.

"Hai," Shiroe said.

"We People of the Land travel little."

"If you want to hear tales of our travels, we have plenty!" Naotsugu said.

"I'd love to hear them."

There were two kids outisde, a boy and a girl. They were probably Fedor's grandchildren.

"Don't just stand there...Come in." Fedor stood up. "Don't be afraid." He got the kids inside.

"Konnichiwa!" the kids greeted.

"Konnichiwa," Shiroe said.

"You're cute..." Naotsugu commented. "Who are you?"

"Mischa!" the girl said.

"Ivan!" the boy said.

"Mischa and Ivan, huh?" Naotsugu said. "Good names!"

Mischa and Ivan saw Akatsuki. They were fascinated.

"A ninja?" Mischa said.

"A ninja!" Ivan said.

"It's a ninja!"

"Throw a shuriken!"

"Kawaii!" Yoko exclaimed.

"Come on..." Fedor said. "I guess they like her."

"They're all kids-" Naotsugu got pierced by Akatsuki's knives.

"Aw! You guys are so cute!" Yoko said to Mischa and Ivan.

Mischa and Ivan gasped. "Talking girl dog!"

"What?"

Mischa and Ivan scratched behind Yoko's ears. "You're pretty and cute!"

"H-hai...Whoa! Scratch that spot again! That feels nice."

Fedor laughed. "I guess they like you, too."

Yoko smiled.

•••

After Shiroe and Naotsugu have a conversation with Fedor, Serara and Nyanta came back into the barn with ingredients. Yoko woke up suddenly.

"What's that smell?" She sniffed the air. "FOOD!"

"They aren't crafted?" Akatsuki said. "Then how?"

"No, come to think of it, those are ingredient items," Shiroe said.

"Some strange parts are just like the game..." Naotsugu said.

Yoko snorted.

"Not like that, baka." Naotsugu lowered his eyes.

"Oh, you call me a baka now?" Yoko demanded.

"There's butter and eggs!" Serara announced. I bought from Susukino...So we can make cookies. Right, Nyanta-san?"

"Meow," Nyanta said

"Cookies?" Fedor said.

•••

Nyanta and Serara finished baking cookies and served them to Mischa and Ivan. When they took a bite of their cookies, they started exclaiming how good they were. Yoko's stomach grumbled.

"Ha, you're hungry!" Naotsugu laughed.

"Sh-Shut up," Yoko said.

•••

Shiroe and the others went back to Akihabara the next day. The Crescent Moon Alliance was outside to see Serara safe and sound.

"Serara! I'm so glad you're all right!" Marielle said. "Thanks, Shiro-bo! Thank you!"

"You don't need to thank me, Marie-nee," Shiroe said.

"Akatsuki-chan! Yoko-chan!" Henrietta only managed to hug Akatsuki, not Yoko, because Yoko luckily dodged her.

"Let's do our celebration dance!" Shoryu, Hien, and Chieri swayed side-to-side with their arms around their shoulders. Naotsugu did the same thing with Yoko.


	6. Chapter 6: Brother

The Crescent Moon Alliance threw a party celebrating Serara's return from Susukino. Chieri bit on a brisket and gasped.

"T-This...is real food!" She devoured her food quickly. "You brought a chef from Susukino? He's amazing!"

"He used to be part of the Debauchery Tea Party," Yoko said. "Shiro-san and Naotsugu-san knew him way back."

"Really? Wait, give me a minute. I need to get more food." Chieri zoomed to the end of the line. Yoko spotted Serara serving drinks to everyone.

"Serara's working hard," she heard Hien say.

"Even though this party is for her..." she also heard the Human kannagi, Asuka, say.

"Serara-san?" she said. "This is your party. You don't have to work too hard."

Serara shook her head. "Drink?"

Yoko took one drink from her tray. "I was like you in the real world. I work I'm restless."

"Really?"

"Everyone told me I should take a break once in a while. But I can't. I don't know why. I have a job, I'm into atheletics..." She hesitated. "They were right. I got into an accident."

"Yoko-san..."

"But I'm fine. Don't worry about it."

Hien smiled. "Those two...they remind of my older sister."

"You have a sister?" Asuka asked.

"I did. I wonder where she is now..."

•••

Naotsugu ate his barbecue. "Listen, kid. Your level isn't what's important. It's what comes after that.

"What comes after my level?" Shoryu asked. "Secret techniques?!"

"I mean panties."

"Pa-"

"What are you talking about?" Marielle asked. Shoryu's ears shot up.

"Nothing much," Naotsugu said, "just p-"

Shoryu jumped on his shoulders and covered his mouth. "Powerful monsters! About powerful monsters..."

"Marielle?" Henrietta called.

"Hoi!" Marielle went away. Shoryu sighed in relief.

"Why talk about that?" he asked Naotsugu.

"You know the girl talking to Serara-chan?" Naotsugu pointed to Yoko. "She has small panties."

Yoko got ticked off. She whacked him with a frying pan.

"Ow! What did you do that for?" Naotsugu complained.

"You were talking perverted stuff to poor Shoryu-kun," Yoko said.

"Since when did you get a frying pan?"

"Got it from the kitchen."

"I'm gonna choke you!"

Yoko whacked him again. "Nice try."

•••

"Oh, Yoko-san!" Asuka waved her hand in the air. Liliana, Eisel, Chieri, Hien, and Shoryu were with her.

"Hai?" Yoko came over.

"Thank you for saving Serara-san." She raised her glass. "Kanpai!"

Everyone joined in. "Kanpai!"

"Where's Ashlynn-chan?" Yoko asked. She heard Henrietta squealing when she saw Akatsuki and told Ashlynn to pull out some dresses for her. Yoko's eye twitched. She raised her frying pan and headed to Henrietta. Hien dragged her away.

•••

Yoko slept with the Crescent Moon Alliance's members. Marielle put blankets on them. After she left with Shiroe to discuss about something, Yoko woke up and strolled on the hallway. Hien opened one eye and saw Yoko leave and followed her. He found her near a window.

"Hey...Yoko, right?" he said. "Have trouble sleeping?"

"You saw me leave?" Yoko said.

"That's why I followed you here."

Yoko stared at the window. "I wanna ask you something...What do you think of this world?"

Hien knitted his eyebrows. "Why do want my opinion?"

Yoko laughed nervously. "Sorry, I shouldn't laugh like that at this time. Honestly, I don't like being here. I want to go back and say sorry to my brother..."

"Brother?"

"I have a brother who is a year younger than me. He's worried about me working too much and never taking breaks. Pretty much everyone agreed with him that I should take it easy, but I can't. So we started fighting about that and we never talked to each other again."

"No way..."

Yoko raised her eyebrows. "What?"

"Nee-san?"

"Madoka? Madoka, is that you?"

"It's me. It's really me."

Yoko sobbed over his shoulder. "Oh my God, it's you. I'm so so sorry."

Hien patted her back. "I'm sorry, too."

•••

"When did you play Elder Tale?" Hien asked.

"Two years," Yoko said.

"And you're already level 90?"

"It's really easy, actually. Battled high-leveled monsters. Most of them are in Susukino."

"And you didn't join a guild yet?"

"I was invited to join this guild led by a guy guild master and the rest are girls. Man, the guild master was cute. But I refused because I wasn't ready. I feel sorry for him. I wonder how he feels..."

Hien sighed. "Eto...nee-san."

"Nani?"

"Why don't you join this guild? That way, we can spend all the time together. What do you say?"

Yoko lowered her head. "I can't. I mean, I don't know!

"What does that mean?"

"I don't think I'm ready...What the hell? What the hell am I saying?"

"Hey...it's okay if you're not ready. If you're ready, talk to me."

Yoko nodded. "Yeah. Um, gotta go. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

•••

*Morning*

Yoko was with Naotsugu and Akatsuki under the big tree where she and Shiroe met Naotsugu. Shiroe found them there, waiting for him.

"Hey! Shiro!" Naotsugu waved his hand.

"Shukun, don't worry about me," Akatsuki said. "If you're leaving, say something."

"That's right."

"What..." Shiroe said. Then he smiled. He turned to Yoko. "You've been silent for a while. What's going on?"

"Eh?" Yoko said. "Oh, uh..."

"You sound happy."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah! Wait, hold on a sec..."

"Did you find him?"

"Who?"

"Your brother."

Yoko froze. "How did you know?"

"When I was talking to Marie-nee last night, I saw you and one of the team leaders, Hien, talking. I overheard your conversation."

"Wait, the Fox Tail assassin is your brother?" Naotsugu asked. "I thought it's gonna be someone you like-"

Yoko sent him flying to the air. "Not like that, baka!"

Shiroe laughed. "Hey. Naotsugu, Yoko, stop. Take it easy."

Yoko beamed. "That's what my brother always says. So, what are you going to do today?"

"Yoko, come with me."

•••

Marielle blinked.

"Um, hey. What are you doing here?" Chieri asked.

"This time, I'd like your help with something," Shiroe said.

"Our help?" Henrietta said.

"Anything you need, Shiroe-san!" Shoryu said.

"That's right. The Crescent Moon Alliance owes you very much."

"Well?"

"Some twins I know are being held captive..." Shiroe said. "Or rather, being forced to stay in a nasty guild. I'd like to save them."

"I see...So you just need them to quit the guild, right? We could draw them off..." Shoryu looked at Chieri.

"What are you looking at me for?" Chieri asked. "I'm no genius." She looked at Yoko.

"Oh, you wanna use me as bait, huh? Not gonna happen," Yoko said. She looked at Shoryu.

"Are we having a three-way staring contest?" Shoryu said.

"I believe we are."

"Ano...This guild you're talking about..." Henrietta said.

"This guild supposedly gathers new players and takes their EXP pots," Shiroe said.

"What kind of guild is that?" Chieri demanded.

"Hamelin..." Marielle said.

"I think it's time they left," Shiroe said.

Everyone was silent for a while.

"W-Wait a second..." Shoryu said. "Do you mean you'll destroy them?"

"He's not gonna do it." Yoko put her fists on her palm. "I will."

"That's not what I meant, Yoko..."

"No, I mean exactly what I said," Shiroe said.

"W-What?" Chieri and Yoko said.

"I'm going to have them leave Akihabara."

Henrietta and Marielle exchanged looks. "Shiro-bo, I understand how you feel..." Marielle said. "But we..."

"I'm sorry, but please let me finish. This is only the first part."

"Wait, there's more?" Chieri said. "Yoko-kohai, I don't know what your strategist is thinking here..."

"Hamelin's just a small portion of this."

"I stand corrected."

"To be honest, I don't really like the way Akihabara feels right now. It's petty, pathetic, and cheap. That's why I'm going to clean the place up. Akihabara is our hometown. It's the largest city on the Japanese server. And it's sad, unpleasant, frail...Everyone walks with their heads down...It's as if our only purpose in life were to be pathetic. We number thirty thousand. But that also means there are only thirty thousand of us. I think everyone's been underestimating this world far too much. We aren't nearly desperate enough."

"I..." Marielle said.

Shiroe bowed down. "Please help me."

"And me," Yoko added.

"Shiro-bo...Yoko..."

"Guild master..." Shoryu said. "Could we at least hear him out? For a long time, I've been feeling the same way."

"Me too," Chieri said.

"Shoryu...Chieri..." Marielle said.

"How would you do it?" Henrietta asked. "It depends on your plan. Tell us. And we'll decide if it's something we can help you with."

"I need money," Shiroe said. "For now, five million gold."

"F-Five million..." Shoryu was shocked. "M-Money?"

"Y-You've got to be kidding me..." Chieri choked.

"H-He's not kidding..." Yoko stammered.

"That's insane!" Henrietta said. "Our treasury only has sixty thousand. Even if we included all our members' belongings..."

"What would you use all that money for?" Marielle said.

Shiroe pushed his glasses. "The money isn't that important. It's only the start. The real problem comes after. I need everyone's hope and goodwill. I believe that more people like this town than hate it. The more people who want to save it, the more likely it is that we can win. So I'll say it again. Lend your assistance to me."

"And me!" Yoko blurted out.

"To me...And to my guild."

Yoko gasped. "Did you say..."

"Shiro-bo, did you just say 'guild'?" Marielle said. "'My guild'?"

"Hai," Shiroe said.

"He said it! He said it!" Chieri and Yoko cried.

"Then you made one?" Marielle said.

"Hai," Shiroe said. "I'm sorry, since you've invited me."

"Geez, you keep forgetting me," Yoko murmured.

"No, it's nothing to apologize for..." Marielle said. "I see. Congratulations, Shiro-bo. So you've managed to make one...You made a home..." She cried tears of joy.

"Tissue?" Chieri handed her one.

"Thank you."

"What's it called, Shiroe-san?" Shoryu asked. "What's the guild's name?"

"Ah, right..." Shiroe said. "Its name is...Log Horizon."

"Say that again. I think I went deaf," Yoko said.

"The guild's name is Log Horizon. Yoko, we finally joined a guild."

Yoko cried on her hands. "I'm so glad..."

"Tissue?" Chieri handed her one.

"Thank you."

"This is great news, Shiroe-san! So, what are we doing?"


	7. Chapter 7: Shiroe's Plan

Megumi Mukai

Race: Fox Tail

Gender: Female

Hair Color: Russet

Eye Color: Green

Class: Swashbuckler

Class Level: 90

Weapon: Battle Axes

Subclass: Dragon Slayer

Subclass Level: 90

HP: 12932

MP: 10793

•••

"We're going," the Human bard, Dolce, announced. The Human monk, Kawara, and the Human samurai, Isami, were having a conversation until they reached the exit.

"Bye!" As Dolce, Kawara, and Isami left the guild, Megumi put her head on the table. "I'm so bored."

The Fox Tail kannagi, Nazuna, placed her tea near Megumi. "Meg-chan, don't you want to go out with them?"

"I don't why! I'm so pathetic! There's nothing to do except to put my butt on the floor all day!"

Nazuna pulled out a deck of cards. "Ne, Meg-chan. Wanna play cards?"

Megumi slapped her hands on the table. "Finally! Somebody got cards! Thank you, Nazuna-nee~"

The Human samurai, Soujiro Seta, pushed Megumi out of the way. "Cards! I wanna play!"

"Sou-kun! You're so mean!" Megumi pouted.

Soujiro hugged Megumi. "Meg! Gomennasai!"

"Okay, that's enough. Let's play, guys!"

Dolce appeared. "Meg-chan, didn't you say you want to come with us?"

"Sorry, Nazuna-nee, Sou-kun. I want to go with Dolce-san, Kawara-san, and Isami-san."

"It's fine," Nazuna said. "We can play next time."

"Yay!" Megumi followed Dolce outside.

•••

Henrietta started freaking out. "Yoko-chan! Let me dress you up!"

"No! Get away from me, creepy accountant lady!" Yoko crashed into Shoryu. She squeaked.

"Crap! Oh, Shoryu-kun," she sighed. "It's just you."

"Got chased again?" Shoryu asked.

"Yep."

"If you're sick being chased all the time, why don't you go hunting with me, Hien, and Naotsugu-san?"

"For Shiro-san's plan?"

"Yeah."

"I love you! But not in that way, no offense."

"Gee, thanks..." Shoryu and Yoko realized they were a few inches apart.

"You're here!" Hien landed on Yoko. Shoryu sighed heavily.

"Get off! Get off!" Yoko screamed.

"What's going on with you two?" Naotsugu asked Shoryu and Yoko. They both blushed.

"N-Nothing!" Shoryu and Yoko stuttered.

"Uh-huh."

Yoko glanced at Naotsugu's and Shoryu's backs. "Hey, where are your swords?"

Chieri came in holding three swords. "You two." She gave them their swords back. "You're welcome."

"Chieri-senpai, your subclass is swordsmith?" Yoko asked.

"Yup. Now if you excuse me..." Chieri walked away.

"Your senpai is not going?" Naotsugu asked Hien and Shoryu.

"She's helping out here," Hien said.

"Okay, kids! Let's go!"

•••

Naotsugu, Hien, Shoryu, and Yoko were hunting ingredient monsters in the Imperial Garden Forest. They were surrounded by level 18 Imperial Forest boars.

"It's pretty tough to catch them alive..." Shoryu said.

"If you kill them, they just become ingredient items," Naotsugu said.

"It's impossible..." Hien said. "That huge boar becomes a mere two kilograms (four pounds) of meat!"

"But with a good cook, if you catch them alive, you can use the entire thing."

"Okay, I'll lure them in." Yoko put two fingers inside her mouth and whistled to the boars. "Oi! You, uh...Whatever! Come and get me!"

The boars chased after her. She signaled to Naotsugu. "Now!"

"Okay, let's do this!" Naotsugu released Anchor Howl. "Our quota for today is sixty!"

"Okay!" Hien said.

"Roger!" Yoko said.

"If it's for Marie-san," Shoryu said, "I'll catch as many as you need!"

•••

"This isn't quite right," Asuka said.

"Remind me why I'm wearing this short-skirted outfit," Chieri muttered.

"Something easier to move in would be nice," Ashlynn said.

"Let's see what clothes we have in the bank," Asuka volunteered.

"Hai!"

"I have to change," Chieri said.

•••

Chieri headed to Marielle's office. Flies flew around Marielle.

"I haven't left the room for three days..." Marielle said. "I can't take this anymore..."

Henrietta put down a stack of papers on Marielle's desk. "We need these registers for our plan. Look through and approve them."

"Wait, it's impossible...That's impossible!"

"It is, indeed."

"You know paperwork isn't really my thing."

"Approving budgets is your job, guild master."

"Shut up, shut up...Stupid Umeko!"

"Don't use my real name!"

"Umeko! Umeko! Umeko!" Marielle and Henrietta spotted Chieri near the door.

"How long have you been standing there?" Henrietta asked.

"Not long..." Chieri said. She saw Shiroe carry more stacks of papers.

"I've brought more, Marie-nee," Shiroe said.

"Shiro-bo, you're a demon..." Marielle said.

"You guys are torturing her..." Chieri said.

"Shiroe-sama, I've complied a list of everything you requested," Henrietta reported.

"That was fast!" Shiroe took her clipboard. "And the numbers are accurate."

"Our treasurer is amazing," Marielle said. "The devil of himself would run if he saw her coming with stack of budgets."

"No, there are limits to my abilities," Henrietta said. "What amazes me is the mercilessness of Shiroe-sama's plans. He should just call himself Mr. Super Villain."

"Compared to Marie-nee's spaciness, my villainy is nothing," Shiroe said.

"That's true!" Henrietta laughed. She and Shiroe let out a dark aura.

"You guys are creeping me out," Chieri said.

"I give up..." Marielle said.

"Anyway, there's so much work, having Akatsuki-chan for a full day is the only way I can keep going," Henrietta said. "Yoko-chan seems like the deadly serious type who doesn't want to be bothered, so I'm going to leave her alone."

"Akatsuki's on a separate mission right now, but she could probably spare a bit of time," Shiroe said.

"Oh, my!"

"Eto...Marielle-san, you need help? Even though this isn't my job?" Chieri offered.

"Thank goodness you're here, Chieri." Marielle pointed to stacks of papers on her right. "Start with this pile right here."

•••

"Well now...This is quite the haul, nyah," Nyanta said.

"Now it's up to you, chief!" Naotsugu said.

"Naotsugu! Ookini!" Marielle crushed him to the wall. "Rub, rub, rub, rub!"

Henrietta pushed her glasses. "Marie, behave yourself."

Hien nudged Shoryu's shoulder. Yoko raised an eyebrow.

_So obvious..._Yoko thought.

"Shoryu, Hien, and Yoko, ookini!" Marielle said.

Hien crossed his arms. "He was all fired up."

"No, you're just good at slacking off!" Shoryu said.

"Who's slacking off? You loyal little puppy!"

"Shut up, you flippant fox!"

Chieri came in. "Ugh, this again. You guys, I have enough of your fights."

Yoko appeared beside Shoryu and Hien and raised her frying pan, but Chieri dragged her away.

"But there still isn't enough," Marielle said.

"I'm on it!" Shoryu zoomed away.

"I don't know why, but he's really into this...I can always count on you, Shoryu!"

Everyone was smiling.

"He's a good kid," Chieri commented.

•••

"No more!" Marielle screamed. She was with stacks of papers.

"We can't take it anymore!" Chieri wailed.

"This is all the paperwork," Henrietta said. "Then, I'll return to my own job."

Marielle popped out from the pile of papers. "Now I'm scared of glasses. The glasses all frighten me!"

"Marielle-san, don't think about them," Chieri said. "Just focus on the paperwork."

•••

Two Crescent Moon Alliance's held up a sign: **Crescent Moon the refreshment stand**. "Ta-da!"

"Oh, it's wonderful!" Henrietta said.

"I'm impressed, guys!" Chieri clapped her hands.

"Whoa," Yoko said.

"Cute and distinctive," Ashlynn announced. "It's amazing how nice handmade stuff looks."

"Now we're almost done," Asuka said.

•••

"What do you think, Henrietta-san?" Shiroe asked. "In the old world, weren't you an accountant, with a master's in business administration? I think it can work. Basically, we just need to get the money, any way we can. We don't have to worry about where it came from or whose it was. At the moment, this world has no rules. There's no point in restricting ourselves by making new ones."

Marielle, Chieri, and Yoko looked at Henrietta.

"We can do it," Henrietta said. "Five million gold. We can get the money."

Marielle, Shoryu, Chieri, and Yoko couldn't believe what she said.

"No way..." Chieri said. "How would you accumulate five million gold quickly?"

Shiroe and Henrietta pushed their glasses.

"Oh, I see."

•••

Naotsugu and Yoko entered Marielle's office. Naotsugu was holding a plate with a triangular sandwich.

"Marie-san, I brought you a snack," he said. "Chief Nyanta made this sandwich himse-" He and Yoko noticed Marielle on the floor, which was covered with papers. Chieri popped up behind numerous stacks of papers.

"I can't go on!" Marielle whined.

"Me too!" Chieri sobbed.

"Then why did you chose this job if you're stressed out?" Yoko asked.

"I can't leave Marielle-san miserable! Now _I'm _miserable!"

"Stupid Umeko, I hate you!" Marielle rolled on the floor.

"Hey, come on..." Naotsugu said.

"I can't take this room anymore. I want a bath. I want to go outside."

"Easy there." Naotsugu placed the plate with the sandwich in front of Marielle.

"I'm outta here!" Chieri zoomed away. Yoko sighed.

"Oh, senpai..." Yoko said.

•••

Marielle happily ate the sandwich. "This is great!"

"Hey..." Naotsugu said.

"Hm?"

"Thanks for going along with Shiro's plan."

"Eh?"

"I think it made him happy that you agreed. Thank you."

"You're a good boy, Naotsugu...Good boy, good boy. I'm glad you're with Shiro-bo. Keep being his friend."

"Y-Yeah..."

"Um, he's not a dog, unlike me," Yoko said.

"Oh, that's right!" Marielle petted her. "You're a good girl, Yoko!"

"No, I'm not..."

"So tomorrow's the day," Naotsugu said.

"Yeah, tomorrow," Marielle said.

"I'm gonna go. See ya!" Yoko left Marielle's office.

•••

*The next day*

"Ne..." Dolce said. "Before we head into the field, let's grab something to eat."

"I can't be fed with the tasteless food they have here anymore," Megumi said.

"Does it matter what?" Kawara asked. "Everything tastes the same, anyway."

"Don't say that," Isami said.

"Anyway, this place sure is deserted..."

"Of course it is," Dolce said.

"I wonder where everyone went..." Megumi said.

"Well, if it all tastes the same, the cheapest food is as good as any..." Isami said.

Megumi sniffed something good in the air. "I smell something good."

"That can't be," Kawara said. "None of the food smells good here."

"Don't say that," Isami sighed.

"What's that over there?" Megumi spotted Marielle waving her hand.

"Hello, residents of Akihabara!" Marielle announced. "For those who missed real food, we have good news. Now you can bring genuine flavor back to your table! The Crescent Moon refreshment stand opens today! Please give a try!"

"I wanna check it out!" Megumi rushed to the stand and pulled out a menu. "Wow, this is a lot of gold. I don't care about my money. I wanna spend all of them!"

"Let me see." Dolce took the menu from Megumi. "That's pretty pricey!"

"What noisy, strange people," Kawara said.

"Kawara-san..." Megumi sighed.

Marielle talked to Smash about what he's going take. Smash decided to take a Crescent Burger, and then pointed to Rikopin that she will take one. Marielle announced, "One Crescent Burger coming right up!"

Serara, Liliana, and Asuka bowed. "Arigatogozaimasu!"

Dolce, Kawara, Isami, and Megumi glanced over to see what was going on. Marielle gave a Crescent Burger to Rikopin.

"Give it a try!" she said.

Rikopin smelled the burger and bit it. "What is this?"

"Huh?" Smash said. Rikopin started freaking out.

"It tastes like hamburger!" she exclaimed. Smash gasped.

Dolce, Kawara, Isami, and Megumi exchanged looks.

"What are you waiting for, guys?" Megumi lined up. "Let's get some!" After she and the others got some Crescent Burgers, they reacted.

"It tastes like grilled meat and sauce..." Dolce sobbed.

"It's so good!" Kawara cried.

"I can eat like this forever!" Megumi said.

"We can't just stand here!" Isami said.

"Let's go tell Sou-chan!" Dolce said.

"Hai!" Megumi said. "I'll pay for it."

•••

"Sou-kun!" Megumi yelled. "Try this!"

"A burger?" Soujiro asked.

"Just try it." Megumi gave the burger to him. He bit it.

"This is...Delicious? Who made this? How?"

•••

The Human cleric, Rezarick, looked at the Dwarf bard, Akira, concerned. "Akira-sama? You're not going to try it?"

"Eh..." Akira said. "Is the burger really good?"

"It makes me happy!" the Human guardian, Isaac, said. "Come on, kid. Try it."

Akira chomped down on the burger. "It's...amazing! I can't describe it! This is a miracle!"

•••

"This flavor, at this price," the Human summoner, Charasin, said. "I wonder if we can get in on this...Mitsue."

"What? I'm trying to enjoy my food here." The Human enchanter, Mitsue, took another bite of his burger.

•••

"Trouble, boss!" a man ran into the building. "Look at this!"

"You're too slow on the draw, Kayu..." the Human monk, Michitaka, said. "Ryuzo already told me what's going on. This is good, though...Ryuzo!"

The Elf samurai, Ryuzo, came out. "What's up?"

"You two, investigate the shop. Who's running it, what they use for ingredients, and how they get them. Everything you can find!"

Kayu and Ryuzo nodded. "Hai!"

"This will change the world."

"I agree, sir." Ryuzo took a bite from his burger.

•••

Naotsugu secured one of the cages. "Okay, that's enough for now. Let's go, kids."

"Right!" Hien and Yoko said.

"I will gather more," Shoryu said. "You three, go on back."

"Don't push yourself...There's a long way to go," Naotsugu said. "Don't be like Yoko."

"No. I don't want to lose."

"Huh? To whom?"

"Then, let's go," Hien asked.

"Is he okay?"

"He'll be fine..."

"Eh? What do you mean by that?" Yoko gasped. "He's gonna be crushed-" She remembered the time when Hien nudged Shoryu's shoulders. "Oh, now I get it."

"Um, okay? Let's go, then." Naotsugu, Hien, and Yoko left Shoryu alone.

•••

"Good work, everyone," Shiroe said.

"Aw, Serara and Ashlynn are sleeping," Chieri said.

"Well? Well?" Marielle said. "How much did we make?"

"We earned 43,776 gold in sales, representing 1,159 costumers who spent an average of 38 gold each," Henrietta reported. "We sold out the crescent burgers we prepared, as well as everything else, except the black rose tea."

"I guess they care about the food more than the drinks, then..." Chieri said.

"Wow!" Marielle put her hands together. "This is great! At this rate, we'll get that five million gold in no time at all!"

"We'll never make it in time..." Shiroe said. "Not even close, Marie-nee."

"We won't?"

"Basic math shows that it would take one hundred, twenty days...Or four months."

"But today, we turned away a lot of costumers...If we wanted, we could sell a lot more."

"Our total market size probably measures in the tens of thousands. In Akihabara alone, there are over fifteen thousand players."

"The problem is," Henrietta said, "no matter how the demand, we can only serve around a thousand costumers a day. Our guild just isn't big enough."

"That's true," Chieri said.

"That's it," Shiroe said. "Money isn't the point of this plan, anyway."

"That's right," Marielle said. "I was just blinded by the huge fortune in front of me."

"I'll go deposit our earnings in the bank," Henrietta said.

"Thanks," Shiroe said.

"Hey, Shiro-bo," Marielle said. "If money wasn't the Crescent Burger's goal, does that mean you'll use your other plan?"

"Other plan?" Chieri echoed.

"I'm sure it'll work," Shiroe said.

"But I don't know if I can do it," Marielle said.

"Just leave it to Henrietta-san. Right?"

"Yes. Leave it to me." Henrietta pushed her glasses. "In exchange..."

Chieri slapped her forehead.

•••

"Kawaii!" Ashlynn, Asuka, and Liliana said.

"Wow..." Yoko and Chieri stared blankly at Akatsuki, who was wearing a Crescent Moon Alliance maid outfit.

"My, my..." Nyanta said. "It looks wonderful on you, nyah."

"Ah! My exhaustion is flying away!" Henrietta said.

"Hey, have you seen Shoryu?" Marielle asked.

"Now that you mention it, he's late," Naotsugu said.

"He was so excited, he hasn't returned from hunting..." Hien said.

"He's going on my stage of life," Yoko said.

"R-Really?" Marielle said. "Maybe something happened..."

A huge boar was shoved on the Crescent Moon Alliance hallway. Yoko and Chieri dropped their jaws. Shoryu tilted the boar's head to the side.

"Shoryu..." Hien said.

"Marie-san, am I helping a little?" Shoryu fell on the ground with the boar's head on him. Marielle ran to him, and pulled him out. It turned out that he's sleeping.

"He hasn't rested or slept for a long time," Naotsugu said.

"He's been killing himself," Hien said.

Yoko and Chieri giggled.

"Thank goodness..." Marielle said. "Thank you, everyone. I'm blessed with such wonderful companions."

"He looks so happy in his sleep," Hien said. "Guess it was worth almost killing himself."

"Hm, I wonder why." Yoko and Chieri giggled again.

"After all that work, I'm sorry to say this..." Nyanta announced. "But giant boar tastes too strong, so I can't use it, nyah."

Everyone snickered.

"Sh! You'll wake him up!" Marielle said. Yoko fainted on Hien's arms.

"Nee-san?" Hien asked. Yoko snored.

"Wow, those guys are the same..." Naotsugu said.

"Kawaii!" Chieri squealed.

•••

*The next day*

Yoko and Chieri found some strangers working in the Crescent Moon stand. They know who they are. They were from a guild called the Caravan of the West Wind (West Wind Brigade). A group of girls gathered around the guild master, Soujiro Seta. Kawara scolded them, and Dolce was having a side conversation with Soujiro.

"That's..." Yoko said.

"Yoko-chan?" It was Megumi. "What are you doing here?"

"Megumi-san?" Yoko said.

"Yoko-kohai, you know the Dragon Slayer?" Chieri asked.

"We knew each other way back then," Megumi said. "I can't believe you're here, Yoko-chan! It's good to see you again! Sou-kun is going to be surprised to see you. Oi, Sou-kun! Look who's here!"

Soujiro turned to Yoko. "Yoko? What are you doing here?"

"I'm helping out."

"Wow, you still look great! It's been a while since I saw you...Well, it's good to see you again."

"You too."

"Hi, I'm Chieri from the Crescent Moon Alliance!" Chieri announced. "I'm big fans of you guys! Can I have your autographs?"


	8. Chapter 8: Day Off

Mitsue

Race: Elf

Gender: Male

Hair Color: Beige

Eye Color: Gray

Class: Enchanter

Class Level: 90

Weapon: Machete

Subclass: Artisan

Subclass Level: 90

HP: 12753

MP: 13596

•••

"Our warehouse is looking pretty bare..." Charasin said. "We should buy up whatever we can."

"Ever since the Apocalypse, there are fewer guilds that will leave towns to fight for ingredients," one of his members, Taro, said.

"Yeah..." Mitsue agreed.

"Fighting in your own body is pretty scary..." Charasin said. "That's why lots of people are switching to crafting, so ingredients are becoming harder to find." He, Taro, and Mitsue went outside. "In the race to buy them, the large guilds have an advantage..."

"The Roderic Merchant Guild and the Marine Agency (Oceanic Systems) have absorbed many smaller guilds," Taro said.

"We may be the third biggest crafting guild, but it doesn't mean we can take it easy."

Mitsue stopped walking. "Hm? What's that supposed to mean?"

"We must take full advantage of this chance."

"Chance?" Taro and Mitsue repeated.

•••

Yoko tilted her head to the side. "I get a day off?"

"This is a bet. We have Eisel taking your place, so you can relax," Shoryu said. "If you didn't enjoy it, too bad. You owe me...300 hundred gold. If you did, we will you all our gold. You got a deal, Yoko?"

"Yatta! It's a deal! Arigato, Shoryu-kun!" Yoko frolicked away.

"Hey...Do you like my sister?" Hien asked. Shoryu gulped.

"Shut up, you stupid fox!" He stormed away.

•••

Chieri met up with Yoko near a NPC shop. "What should we do today?" Yoko asked.

"Since Marielle-san and Henrietta-san are at the Dragon's Nest for negotiating with production guilds...Hm, this day is going to be boring that I thought," Chieri said. "Shoot. If we lose this bet, we owe Shoryu-kohai 300 hundred gold each."

"Chieri?" It was Mitsue.

"Mitsue-kun?"

"It's been a while!" Mitsue and Chieri exchanged high-fives. "Who's your friend?"

"This is Yoko. She's a level 90 Wolf Fang monk," Chieri said.

"Hey, I'm Mitsue," Mitsue said. "Nice to meet you, Yoko."

"You too," Yoko said.

Chieri looked around. "Isn't Charasin-san at the meeting?"

"Yeah," Mistue answered. "Taro is helping out in the warehouse. I don't want to do that, so here I am."

"We both got a day off from..." Chieri glanced at Yoko, who was shaking her head. "...the same reason you have."

"Whoops, I have something to do. It almost slipped off from my mind." Mistue ran ahead. "Bye, you two!" He disappeared through a crowd in front of Chieri and Yoko.

"This is the worst day off ever," Yoko groaned.

"Don't say that, Yoko-kohai," Chieri said. "I thought of something we could do."

•••

Yoko and Chieri went back to the Crescent Moon Alliance base at the same time as Shoryu, Hien, Naotsugu, and Eisel. Instead of seeing Yoko and Chieri miserable during their day off, Shoryu saw them sparring.

"This is so fun!" Yoko flipped Chieri to the mat. "I win!"

Hien sighed. "You're so bad at making bets with girls, Shoryu. Is it because you're sensitive around them and you don't want to hurt their feelings? Hm, Shoryu?"

"I don't like her, period." Shoryu clenched his teeth. "Okay, you won this bet. Oi, Hien. We gotta owe them all our gold."

"You know what, keep them. You just lucky because I'm nice," Yoko said. "Next time, those bets will become more serious." Yoko winked at Shoryu. "Bye, guys!"

"Do you like her, Shoryu-kohai~?" Chieri grinned.

"No, exclamation mark!" Shoryu stormed away.

•••

Marielle was on the floor. Flies swarmed around her.

"I'm done for. It feels like my HP and MP are at zero..." Marielle said.

"I suddenly feel so exhausted." Henrietta was on the couch, her head pointing at the ceiling. She and Marielle heard the door open. "This smell...Akatsuki-chan!"

"You aren't smelling me," Akatsuki said. "That's the dessert."

Chieri popped up behind her. "I'm hungry! Give me some food!"

Yoko pulled her down. "Chieri-senpai!"

"When you're tired, sweets are the best!" Naotsugu declared.

"I'm tired!" Chieri exclaimed.

"Get down!" Yoko pulled her down again.

"Meow," Nyanta said.

Marielle became grateful. "Ookini...You all had a tough time, too. Arigato!"

"We both got a day off, and we're bored to death," Yoko and Chieri murmured.

"Shiro asked us to," Naotsugu told Marielle.

"He said you'd be tired when you get back, nyah," Nyanta added.

"He did?" Henrietta said.

"Where is he, anyway?" Marielle said. "I should tell him how it went."

"He's already working on the next job, nyah," Nyanta answered. "He was certain you'd be able to pull it off, nyah."

"Is your strategist really psychic?" Chieri asked Yoko.

Yoko shrugged. "I dunno."

Marielle and Henrietta looked at each other.

"It feels like he planned for everything," Henrietta said. "There's no beating the Villain in Glasses."

•••

"We're splitting up for tonight's sparring match," Isaac announced to his guild members.

"Okay!" his guild members said.

Akira groaned. "I really want to kick all of your guys' asses."

"What has the Crescent Moon Alliance invited us to?" Rezarick asked Isaac.

"They said they wanted to talk about the city of Akihabara, but the details are vague," Isaac said.

"I thought Akihabara is improving right now," Akira said. "What are those guys thinking?"

"She once tried and failed to make an alliance of smaller guilds, but..." Rezarick said.

"I don't know if they're true, but the stories about the guy working with her bother me," Isaac said.

"Guy?" Akira cocked one eyebrow.

"You mean Log Horizon?" Rezarick said.

"Oh, him."

"Yes..." Isaac said. "It's Shiroe, from the Tea Party."

•••

Krusty was holding a piece of paper. Ikuya glanced at it.

"An invitation?" he asked.

"Then does this mean the next raid is cancelled, my lord?" Sansa asked Krusty.

"Yes..." Krusty said. "Unfortunately, the dates overlap. Gomen, Ikuya."

Ikuya frowned. "I have to deal with this."

"Is this conference that important?" Sansa said.

"You hate politics," Ikuya reminded him.

"I'm less interested in the conference itself than in the one holding it," Krusty said.

Ikuya knew what he was talking about. "That guy..."


	9. Chapter 9: Rescuing Hamelin's Captives

"You want us to rescue the kids?" Chieri asked Shiroe.

"I can't be here because I have to attend the Round Alliance Table meeting," Shiroe said. "Gomen, for forcing you guys to do my job."

"Gomen? Don't apologize! This is what I wanted to do in this world! Since there are no quests available anymore, I'll count this a huge quest. You can count on us, okay?"

"Y-Yeah..."

"So, what's the plan, Strategist?" Naotsugu asked.

"I'm getting to that. Shoryu, Chieri, Hien, you two are escorting the kids from here."

"Okay!" / "Fine." Shoryu, Chieri, and Hien nodded.

"Akatsuki, after Shoryu and Hien escort the kids out, contact me.

"Understood," Akatsuki said.

"Naotsugu, you're waiting in the Cathedral. In case one of the kids die, they'll revive and you'll escort them from there."

"Yeah," Naotsugu said.

"Yoko, you're going in the Hamelin base."

"Un! Wait...NANI?!" Yoko freaked out.

"Make sure they're giving up for good. And also the kids."

"I'm basically stealing Akatsuki-san's job. Mate! Can I still do any form of death penalty on them?"

"U-Un..."

"Yatta! This is my time to kick some ass!"

•••

Yoko peeked through a small hole inside a barrel inside the Hamelin base. She was listening to two girls conversing.

"Ne, is it true?" the Human bard, Isuzu, asked the Human kannagi, Minori, who was cleaning the floor with a rag. "That we can escape from here?"

"Un, I got word this morning," Minori reported.

"But what does he mean that the Guild Building is under his control?"

"I don't know, but all we have to do is run out the door."

"You there." One of the Hamelin members demanded. Yoko quickly looked away from the hole while he passed by her, and resumed peeking. "What are you whispering about?"

"Not a thing!" / "N-Nothing." Isuzu ran away while Minori continued cleaning. The Hamelin member became suspicious. Yoko saw Isuzu passing by.

"Psst." Yoko gently knocked on the lid of the barrel.

"Someone in here?" Isuzu opened the lid and gasped. Yoko popped up.

"Who are you?" Isuzu asked Yoko. "You're not from here, are you?"

Yoko shook her head. "Name's Yoko. I'm part of the rescue team."

"R-Really? Everyone isn't here yet..."

"I'm making sure that you guys are safe and the Hamelin guys are giving up for good."

"Like spying?"

"S-Sure..."

"Shoot. One of the Hamelin members is coming this way. Arigato, Yoko-san." Isuzu put the lid back on the barrel.

•••

Minori scanned around the diner hall. All clear. Yoko was still in the barrel, smiling to herself.

_Good job, guys, _she thought.

"Quick, let's go!" Minori said.

The players started running, but Minori fell and her staff made a sound. One of the Hamelin members appeared.

_Shit, _Yoko thought. _This is bad. I wish I could help them, but I can't. I have to wait for my death penalty on them after the kids escape._

"I thought something was suspicious," the Hamelin member said. "Where are the other kids? What are you planning?!"

The Human samurai, Tohya, jumped from a table and raised his sword. He jabbed the Hamelin member on the face.

_Good job, kid, _Yoko thought.

"Tohya!" Minori said. After a moment of silence, she commanded the other players to go ahead. She and Tohya were left to fight the Hamelin member.

_Go, you two! I'm rooting for you! _Yoko thought. _Only if I had my whistle and my pom-poms..._

Minori and Tohya were fighting the Hamelin member until they had the chance to escape. While they were running away, the Hamelin came out. Yoko clenched her teeth.

_You bastard, _she thought. A ring echoed inside her head. "Madoka?"

"I told you, just call me Hien in here only, okay?" Hien said. "Anyways, the kids escaped successfully."

"Good to hear."

"Wait, there are two more coming. Just hold on, okay?"

"No, I can't hold on! I wanna do it right now!"

"Okay, nee-san. Just be patient." The call ended. Yoko sighed.

_Ma...no, Hien is right, _she thought. _I just have to be patient. _Suddenly, she got a call from Shoryu. She answered it. "Hai?"

"You can get out from the barrel now. Sorry for making you suffer in there," Shoryu said.

"It's okay, Shoryu-kun. Thanks for letting me know when to start a death penalty!" She ended the call. _It's time to get your asses kicked, you Hamelin wusses. _She pushed the lid out and climbed out the barrel. "Yay, I can move again!" She headed for the front entrance, where the rest of the Hamelin members are right now. When one of the members of Hamelin touched the door, his hand got zapped.

"What are you doing?" the Hamelin leader demanded.

"Th-The door..."

"Let me try." The Hamelin opened the door at ease. "I'll get those brats back. The rest of you, stay here, got it?"

"Mate!" The rest of the Hamelin members started yelling, but the Hamelin leader exited the base. Yoko arrived behind the crowd.

"Oi, you Hamelin wusses!" she announced. "Turn around."

The crowd turned around. They were confused.

"A girl?" one Hamelin member said.

"How the hell did she get in here?" the second member said.

"Psh, we're not scared of you, little girl," the third member scoffed. The rest of the Hamelin members rose in agreement. Yoko tightened her fists.

"All of you just pissed me off." She collided her fist and her palm together. "First of all, I'm not a little girl. I'm seventeen. Lastly, you should be scared of me because I am the Savager of Susukino."

"Savager?" the crowd echoed. "Holy-"

"Yeah, that's right." Yoko gave a deadly glare at them. "All of you are receiving a death penalty from me."

"Oi! Everyone comes back to life, you know!" the fourth member remarked.

"Don't correct me! I know that! I want all of you to end this. If you don't..."

"Fine! Fine! We'll stop! Promise!"

Yoko didn't change her expression. "If this is a promise you can't keep..."

"This is a pure promise!"

"Fine. But you have to leave Akihabara. Forever."


End file.
